USPatentGranted
B2Dual function composite system and method of making same
Granted 15 Feb 2011 · 10 office actions
Current assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc. · originally QinetiQ
Law firm: Law firm · Log in to unlock
Attorney: Attorney · Log in to unlock
Inventors: John J. Gannon, Jr., Sean Gerald O'Reilly, Pat Anthony Coppola, Joseph F. Burke +2 · Examiner: Shih-Chao Chen · AU 2821 · TC 2800
Application
11/495,400
filed 28 Jul 2006
Publication
US 20070030205
published 8 Feb 2007
Patent· this page
US 7,889,141
granted 15 Feb 2011
91
Claims
11 independent
116
File wrapper
transactions
2026
20-year term
term adjustment not held
none
Litigation
checked
6
Classifications
H01Q1/28, H01Q1/00
20
Citations
20 cites · 0 cited by
Life of the patent
4 dated events⤢ drag to zoom
Prosecutionhover for detail · click to open
Abstract
A dual function composite system includes a first electronic subsystem, a second electronic subsystem, and a composite member between the first and second electronic subsystems. The composite member includes plies of fabric, and resin impregnating the plies of fabric. At least one ply of the fabric includes signal transmission elements integrated therewith and interconnecting the first electronic subsystem with the second electronic subsystem.
Claims
91 · 11 independent · depth 1091 granted claims
›1.independentA dual function composite system comprising:na first electronic subsystem;a second electronic subsystem; anda composite member between the first and s…+35
›2.↳ 1The system of claim 1 in which the first electronic subsystem is a notional antenna subsystem integrated with an aircraft panel, the second electronic…d2+1
›3.↳ 2The system of claim 2 in which the aircraft panel is a wing panel and the structural member is a wing spar.d3
›4.↳ 1The system of claim 1 including a plurality of conductive pins extending through a dielectric core from a first side of the core to a second side of t…d2+30
›5.↳ 4The system of claim 4 further including a printed circuit board electrically connected to one end-of the pins.d3+29
›6.↳ 5The system of claim 5 in which the printed circuit board is electrically connected to the signal transmission elements in the composite member.d4+28
›7.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the dielectric core is air.d5+4
›8.↳ 7The system of claim 7 in which the dielectric core includes a dielectric support mechanism for separating the first side of the core from the second s…d6+3
›9.↳ 8The system of claim 8 in which the dielectric support mechanism is a dielectric honeycomb structure.d7
›10.↳ 8The system of claim 8 in which the dielectric support mechanism is a dielectric truss structure.d7+1
›11.↳ 10The system of claim 10 in which the truss structure includes a network of dielectric pins forming the truss structure.d8
›12.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the dielectric core is a low density material.d5
›13.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the dielectric core is foam.d5
›14.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the dielectric core is a polymer.d5
›15.↳ 6The system of claim 6 further including a radome layer over one side of the core.d5+1
›16.↳ 15The system of claim 15 in which the radome layer is made of astroquartz.d6
›17.↳ 6The system of claim 6 including a ground plane which is a composite layer including plies of conductive fibers impregnated with a resin.d5+4
›18.↳ 17The system of claim 17 in which the fibers are carbon.d6
›23.↳ 17The system of claim 17 in which the ground plane includes holes therethrough for the conductive pins.d6+2
›24.↳ 23The system of claim 23 in which the conductive pins are insulated.d7
›25.↳ 23The system of claim 23 in which the holes provide clearance between the conductive pins and the ground plane.d7
›19.↳ 6The system of claim 6 further including a structural layer between a ground plane and the printed circuit board.d5+3
›20.↳ 19The system of claim 19 in which the structural layer includes a foam sub-layer on a composite sub-layer.d6+2
›21.↳ 20The system of claim 20 in which the composite sub-layer includes fibers impregnated with a resin.d7+1
›22.↳ 21The system of claim 21 in which the composite sub-layer fibers are carbon.d8
›26.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the pins are solid and made of a metal alloy.d5+1
›27.↳ 26The system of claim 26 in which the metal alloy includes copper.d6
›28.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the pins include a composite core surrounded by metal coating.d5
›29.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the pins include a central conductor surrounded by a dielectric material surrounded by a coaxial shield conductor.d5
›30.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the pins are tubular.d5
›31.↳ 6The system of claim 6 in which the pins are configured to provide sidewall metallization around a cavity of a radiating element.d5
›32.↳ 6The system of claim 6 including radiating elements printed on the dielectric core.d5+2
›33.↳ 32The system of claim 32 in which the pins are inserted through holes drilled in the dielectric core.d6+1
›34.↳ 33The system of claim 33 in which the pins are first inserted through the holes drilled in the dielectric core and the radiating elements are then print…d7
›35.↳ 1The system of claim 1 in which the signal transmission elements are wires woven into the at least one ply of the composite member.d2+1
›36.↳ 35The system of claim 35 in which said wires are insulated.d3
›37.independentA dual function composite system comprising:na first electronic subsystem;a second electronic subsystem;the first electronics subsystem separated from…
›38.independentA dual function composite system comprising:na notional antenna subsystem integrated with an aircraft wing panel including:nan array of radiating elem…
›39.independentA composite system comprising:npins through a composite forming signal transmission pathways in a first direction; andat least one ply of the composit…+8
›40.↳ 39The system of claim 39 in which the composite includes a dielectric layer and radiating elements on one surface thereof each on a pin.d2+7
›41.↳ 40The system of claim 40 in which the dielectric layer is foam.d3
›42.↳ 40The system of claim 40 in which the dielectric layer is air.d3+4
›43.↳ 42The system of claim 42 in which dielectric layer includes a dielectric support mechanism for providing structural support.d4+3
›44.↳ 43The system of claim 43 in which the dielectric support mechanism includes a honeycomb structure.d5
›45.↳ 43The system of claim 43 in which the dielectric support mechanism includes a dielectric truss structure.d5+1
›46.↳ 45The system of claim 45 in which the dielectric truss structure includes a network of dielectric pins.d6
›47.↳ 40The system of claim 40 in which the signal transmission elements are wires integrated with the ply.d3
›48.independentA method of manufacturing a dual function composite system, the method comprising:nadding, in a composite member including multiple plies impregnated …+35
›49.↳ 48The method of claim 48 in which the first electronic subsystem is a notional antenna subsystem integrated with an aircraft panel, the second electroni…d2+32
›50.↳ 49The method of claim 49 in which the aircraft panel is a wing panel and the structural member is a wing spar.d3+31
›51.↳ 50The method of claim 50 in which the notional antenna subsystem includes an array of radiating elements separated from a ground plane by a dielectric c…d4+30
›52.↳ 51The method of claim 51 further including electrically connecting a printed circuit board to the other ends of the pins.d5+29
›53.↳ 52The method of claim 52 further including electrically connecting the printed circuit board to the signal transmission elements in the wing spar.d6+28
›54.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the dielectric core is air.d7+4
›55.↳ 54The method of claim 54 in which the dielectric core includes a dielectric support mechanism for separating the radiating elements from the ground plan…d8+3
›56.↳ 55The method of claim 55 in which the dielectric support mechanism is a dielectric honeycomb structure.d9
›57.↳ 55The method of claim 55 in which the dielectric support mechanism is a dielectric truss structure.d9+1
›58.↳ 57The method of claim 57 in which the truss structure includes a network of dielectric pins forming the truss structure.d10
›59.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the dielectric core is a low density material.d7
›60.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the dielectric core is foam.d7
›61.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the dielectric core is a polymer.d7
›62.↳ 53The method of claim 53 further including adding a radome layer over the radiating elements.d7+1
›63.↳ 62The method of claim 62 in which the radome layer is made of astroquartz.d8
›64.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the ground plane is a composite layer including plies of conductive fibers impregnated with a resin.d7+1
›65.↳ 64The method of claim 64 in which the fibers are carbon.d8
›66.↳ 53The method of claim 53 further including adding a structural layer between the ground plane and the printed circuit board.d7+3
›67.↳ 66The method of claim 66 in which the structural layer includes a foam sub-layer on a composite sub-layer.d8+2
›68.↳ 67The method of claim 67 in which the composite sub-layer includes fibers impregnated with a resin.d9+1
›69.↳ 68The method of claim 68 in which the composite sub-layer fibers are carbon.d10
›70.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the ground plane includes holes therethrough for the conductive pins.d7+1
›72.↳ 70The method of claim 70 in which the holes provide clearance between the conductive pins and the ground plane.d8
›71.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the conductive pins are insulated.d7
›73.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the pins are solid and made of a metal alloy.d7+1
›74.↳ 73The method of claim 73 in which metal alloy includes copper.d8
›75.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the pins include a composite core surrounded by metal coating.d7
›76.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the pins include a central conductor surrounded by dielectric material surrounded by a coaxial shield conductor.d7
›77.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the pins are tubular.d7
›78.↳ 53The method of claim 53 in which the pins are configured to provide side wall metallization around a cavity of a radiating element.d7
›79.↳ 53The method of claim 53 further including printing the radiating elements on the dielectric core.d7+2
›80.↳ 79The method of claim 79 further including inserting the pins through holes drilled in the dielectric core.d8+1
›81.↳ 80The method of claim 80 in which the pins are first inserted through the holes drilled in the dielectric core and the radiating elements are then print…d9
›82.↳ 48The method of claim 48 in which the signal transmission elements are wires woven into the at least one ply of the composite member.d2+1
›83.↳ 82The method of claim 82 in which said wires are insulated.d3
›84.independentA method of manufacturing a dual function composite system, the method comprising:nadding, in a composite member extending between a notional antenna …
›85.independentA method of manufacturing a dual function composite system, the method comprising:nadding, in a composite member extending between first and second el…+1
›86.↳ 85The method of claim 85 further including electrically connecting a printed circuit board to one end of the pins.d2
›87.independentA method of fabricating a composite system, the method comprising:ndriving pins through a composite to form signal transmission pathways in a first di…
›88.independentA dual function composite system comprising:na notional antenna subsystem integrated with an aircraft panel;an electronic subsystem including electron…+1
›89.↳ 88The system of claim 88 in which the aircraft panel is a wing panel and the structural member is a wing spar.d2
›90.independentA method of manufacturing a dual function composite system, the method comprising:nadding, in a structural member supporting an aircraft panel and ext…
›91.independentThe method of claimed 90 in which the aircraft panel is a wing and the structural member is a wing spar.
Classifications
6 codesIPC · International Patent Classification
Section H — Electricity
- H01Q1/28
- H01Q1/00
- H01Q1/38
USPC · US Patent Classification
343/705343/700.MS343/905
Claim changes
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File wrapper
Pendency
4.6 y
1,663 days filing → grant
Office actions
5
non-final + final
Responses
4
2 RCE
Interviews
1
examiner interview summaries
Examiner
Shih-Chao Chen
art unit 2821 · TC 2800
Law firm
Citations: 20 back · 0 forward
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2 priority documentsPriority
29 Jul 2005
earliest claimed
›Priority documents — 2
| Type | Document | Date |
|---|---|---|
| provisional | US 60704089 | 29 Jul 2005 |
| related publication | US 20070030205 A1 | 8 Feb 2007 |
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