The Boeing Company

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Other

Jayant Dahyabhai Patel

Alfred R Wiratunga

Clifford John Petersen

Douglas Dean Maben

Walter Forrest Frantz

Bruce Whitman

Douglas E Freeman

James A Fullerton

John N Harris

Sergio H Sanchez

John Alfred Rossman

Ronald Joseph Talamantez

Sami Movsesian

Sham S Hariram

W Forrest Frantz

John L Bowers

Sharanpal S Sikand

Oliver D Murray

Brian Matthews

Marc A Deramo

Ted Workman

David V Algas

Vitor M Amorim

Annette D Motherwell

Maggie E Fuselier

An aerospace vessel including a fuselage, a means for causing the fuselage to fly coupled to the fuselage, and an environmental control system within the fuselage. The environmental control system includes a duct made of closed cell thermoplastic foam, such as polyvinylidene fluoride foam.

Light weight thermoplastic flex foam and hybrid duct system

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.

Aircraft interior panels and methods of panel fabrication

A method of forming a closed cell thermoplastic foam duct and a method of forming a duct and attaching it to an aircraft environmental control system. The environmental control system includes a duct made of closed cell thermoplastic foam, such as polyvinylidene fluoride foam.

Method of forming a light weight thermoplastic flex foam and hybrid duct system

A coupling apparatus for coupling free ends of a pair of tubular ducts in flow communication with one another, and where the free ends of the ducts are separated by an axial gap. The apparatus may have a sleeve having a length sufficient to span the gap and to overlap portions of the free ends of the ducts when the sleeve is secured to the free ends of the ducts. The sleeve may include a first stretchable ply of material, a non-stretchable ply of material, and a second stretchable ply of material sandwiched together. The non-stretchable ply of material may be disposed between the first and second stretchable plies of material to form a unitary assembly. The non-stretchable ply of material may have an axial length of no more than approximately a length of the axial gap to overlay the axial gap.

Clamp tension compensating, self-sustaining cuff apparatus and method

Apparatus and methods described herein provide for the management of noise associated with a duct. A sound-dampening apparatus is provided consisting of a duct through which a fluid flows, such as an air duct. A flexuous cord is helically wound around the inner or outer surface of the duct at a pitch corresponding to a selected acoustical frequency range associated with the fluid flow through the duct.

Acoustic management of fluid flow within a duct

An apparatus and a system for joining and sealing conduits are provided. The apparatus includes an edge trim positioned proximate to an end of a first conduit, and a sleeve positioned between the first conduit and a second conduit. The sleeve includes a flexible end positioned adjacent to the edge trim such that a portion of the flexible end of the sleeve overlies at least a portion of the edge trim, a semi-rigid end opposite the flexible end and positioned over at least a portion of the second conduit, and a flexible medial portion extending between the flexible end and the semi-rigid end. The apparatus also includes a retaining element configured to be secured over the flexible end of the sleeve such that a portion of the flexible end of the sleeve is sandwiched between the retaining element and the edge trim.

Apparatus, system, and method for joining and sealing conduits

A device for controlling fluid flow for heating or cooling an associated system is provided. The present invention includes a housing having a flow control member that includes a bendable portion. The flow control member responds automatically to a pressure condition within the housing and opens or closes based on the direction and quantity of fluid flow and does not include any mechanical or electromechanical control components. The bendable portion may include, for example, a convoluted section. The flow control member is in an open position during a mode of operation of the associated system and is in a closed position in another mode of operation of the system.

Hingeless flapper valve for flow control

An apparatus is provided for joining and sealing conduits, includes edge trim, a sleeve, and a retaining element. The edge trim is shaped to mount upon and engage an end of a conduit. The sleeve extends between the conduits and at least partially surrounds the edge trim. The sleeve may be made of compressible material, such that when the retaining element surrounds a portion of the sleeve and the edge trim, the retaining element generally compresses the portion of the sleeve portion underlying the retaining element and displaces the sleeve material to expand on either side of the retaining element and limit movement of the retaining element. The method of joining and sealing conduits includes mounting the edge trim and a retaining element upon an end of a conduit, extending a sleeve between the conduits, and sliding the retaining element over the sleeve toward the end of the conduit.

Sleeve for joining and sealing conduits

Modularized insulation blanket for thermal and/or acoustical insulation. The modularized insulation blanket has a cover formed of a distal layer and proximal layer in sealed mated relationship. The distal and proximal layers are sealed along longitudinal and latitudinal heat-sealed seams that define a plurality of modules. The heat-sealed seam may be creased so as to be foldable and/or perforated to provide a tear line. Within the modules are batting blocks. The blankets may be attached to surface structures such as the interior skin surface of an aircraft fuselage, pipes or other structures with retention systems. The blankets may be formed in an apparatus including a platen, heat seal rollers or heating sealing mechanisms, and edge sealers.

Modularized insulation, systems, apparatus, and methods

The apparatus for joining and sealing conduits, includes edge trim, a sleeve, and a retaining element. The edge trim is shaped to mount upon and engage an end of a conduit. The sleeve extends between the conduits and at least partially surrounds the edge trim. The sleeve may be made of compressible material, such that when the retaining element surrounds a portion of the sleeve and the edge trim, the retaining element generally compresses the portion of the sleeve portion underlying the retaining element and displaces the sleeve material to expand on either side of the retaining element and limit movement of the retaining element. The method of joining and sealing conduits includes mounting the edge trim and a retaining element upon an end of a conduit, extending a sleeve between the conduits, and sliding the retaining element over the sleeve toward the end of the conduit.

Method for joining and sealing conduits

Method of fabricating a sleeve for joining and sealing conduits

A hose assembly for coupling a plurality of components in fluid connection and a method for making same. According to a first aspect of the invention, the hose assembly includes at least one rigid portion and at least one flexible portion which cooperate to permit the shape and size of the hose assembly to be easily modified so that the components may be coupled to one another. A second aspect of the invention provides a method for reinforcing a flexible portion of the hose assembly to prevent the flexible portion from kinking when the flexible portion is bent. A third aspect of the invention provides a support collar for use in reinforcing an intersection between a pair of duct sections wherein at least one of the duct sections is moveable relative to the other duct section. The support collar reinforces the intersection and helps to render this section less susceptible to tearing. A fourth aspect of the invention provides a hose assembly having a sleeve member which covers at least a portion of a duct member so as to provide the duct member with a predetermined characteristic, such as abrasion, tear or puncture resistance.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Forest, CA, United States of America

Jayant Dahyabhai Patel