Aircraft interior panels and methods of panel fabrication
First Claim
1. A panel for an aircraft interior comprising:
- a base facing and an aft facing, said base and aft facings being fused along perimeters of the facings to form an interior volume which is bounded by respective interior surfaces of said base and aft facings which meet at a fused perimeter; and
a reinforcement core disposed in said interior volume,wherein said reinforcement core comprises a plurality of polymer rods adjacent to and having axes parallel to one of said interior surfaces of said base and aft facings.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multifunctional fully integral panel system design, a unique material configuration, and a process for fabricating a net shape (or nearly net shape) panel in one production cycle. The panel may comprise a base facing with an outer perimeter, a decorative film applied to the exterior of the base facing, an aft facing having an outer perimeter fused to the base facing, and a reinforcement core disposed between the unfused portions of the base and aft facings, which reinforcement core also acts as acoustic insulation (i.e., a noise attenuator). Alternatively or additionally, a foam core or blanket having thermal and/or acoustic insulation properties is attached to the external surface of the aft facing. The fabrication process involves the application of different heat treatments to panel components having different forming temperature or rubbery/elastic plateaus.
20 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A panel for an aircraft interior comprising:
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a base facing and an aft facing, said base and aft facings being fused along perimeters of the facings to form an interior volume which is bounded by respective interior surfaces of said base and aft facings which meet at a fused perimeter; and a reinforcement core disposed in said interior volume, wherein said reinforcement core comprises a plurality of polymer rods adjacent to and having axes parallel to one of said interior surfaces of said base and aft facings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A panel for an aircraft interior comprising:
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a base facing sheet having a composite construction of reinforcement fibers in a polymer matrix; an aft facing sheet having a perimeter fused to a perimeter of the base facing sheet, wherein said base and aft facing sheets are fused along their perimeters to form a panel flange and are further shaped to form a volume therebetween and surrounded by said flange; a plurality of polymer rods extending along an interior surface of said base or aft facing sheet; and insulation material disposed in said volume and substantially surrounding the polymer rods. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A panel for an aircraft interior comprising:
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a base facing sheet having a composite construction of reinforcement fibers in a polymer matrix; an aft facing sheet having a perimeter fused to a perimeter of the base facing sheet, wherein said base and aft facing sheets are fused along their perimeters to form a panel flange and are further shaped to form a volume therebetween and surrounded by said flange; and insulation material attached to an external surface of said aft facing sheet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification