Optical effects for aerodynamic microstructures

• US 9,751,618 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rawlings, Diane C., Williams, Timothy Leroy, McGarvey, James C., Kestner, James M., Burg, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US14/705,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/10 on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/402 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/414 Translucent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/416 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/538 Roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/00 Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns printing apparatus or machines of special type or for particular purposes B41F17/00; special designs or pictures per se B44F; manufacturing printed circuits using printing techniques H05K3/12 ; manufacturing organic semiconductor devices using printing techniques H10K71/13
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B44B 5/0047 by rolling B44B5/0061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B44B 5/0095 using computer control means
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 1/02 produced by reflected light, e.g. matt surfaces, lustrous surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/10 using other surface properties, e.g. roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/26 by using rib lets or hydrophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/00 Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 : Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/0035 : in the form of riblets
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 : using special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 : displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/08 : the advertising matter being arranged on the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 : Drag reduction

Abstract

Aerodynamic microstructures having sub-microstructure are disclosed herein. One disclosed example apparatus includes an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of a vehicle, and a pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure to convey a representation of an image.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of a vehicle;

a first pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure, the first pattern having a first reflective property; and

a second pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure, the second pattern having a second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first pattern of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second pattern of sub-microstructures,

the first and the second patterns superimposed on the microstructure to convey a representation of a graphic.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the sub-microstructures of the second pattern of sub-microstructures have different shapes compared to the sub-microstructures of the first pattern of sub-microstructures.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns include relatively flat portions of the external surface.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein spacings between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are approximately equal to a wavelength of light.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein surfaces of sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are coated with a reflective coating.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein spacings between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are less than about 0.4 microns.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a color layer proximate the external surface.

8. A method comprising:

providing a first group of sub-microstructures having a first reflective property on an external surface of a microstructure; and

providing a second group of sub-microstructures having a second reflective property on or proximate the external surface, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second group of sub-microstructures to create an optical effect.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the external surface spans a plurality of microstructures.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein providing the first or the second groups of the sub-microstructures comprises embossing sub-microstructures onto the external surface.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising aligning a tool to provide the first group of sub-microstructures and re-aligning or moving the tool to provide the second group of sub-microstructures.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein distances between sub-microstructures of the first or second sub-microstructure groups are between about 0.4 and 0.7 microns.

13. A method comprising:

providing a first group of sub-microstructures having a first reflective property on an external surface of a microstructure; and

providing a second group of sub-microstructures having a second reflective property on or proximate the external surface, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second group of sub-microstructures to create an optical effect.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein providing the sub-microstructures comprises directing a tool to provide sub-microstructures of differing dimensions at different positions on the surface.

15. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns have one or more of a parabolic shape, a triangular shape, a grooved shape, a sinusoidal shape, a cone shape, a cylindrical shape, or a plurality of indentations.

16. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein distances between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are between about 0.4 and 0.7 microns.

17. An apparatus comprising:

an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of an aircraft, comprising;

a first sub-microstructure group superimposed on the aerodynamic microstructure, the first sub-microstructure group having a first reflective property; and

a second sub-microstructure group superimposed on the aerodynamic microstructure, the second sub-microstructure group having a second reflective property, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first sub-microstructure group have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second sub-microstructure group, a combination of the first and the second sub-microstructure groups to convey a representation of a graphic.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the sub-microstructures of the second sub-microstructure group have different shapes compared to the sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising a flat portion of the aerodynamic microstructure to at least partially convey the representation.