The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Joseph A Marshall, Iv

Douglas Alan McCarville

David L Banks

Gerald F Herndon

Robert G Vos

Bradley James Mitchell

Manny S Urcia

Otis Franklin Layton

Gregory W Nelson

Isaac R Bakker

Brock J Prince

Isaac Ron Bekker

In one embodiment a method to form a load bearing antenna aperture comprises forming a honeycomb core structure having a plurality of wall sections, the wall sections including electromagnetic radiating elements, and wherein lower surfaces of the wall sections defines a first surface and upper surfaces of the wall sections define a second surface, positioning a back skin to the first surface of the honeycomb core structure with an adhesive layer which comprises a layer of adhesive film and a paste adhesive disposed on the layer of adhesive film. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Antenna fabrication

A lighting panel capable of producing a 'Starry Sky' lighting effect and which is easily retrofitted into existing aircraft includes a first substrate, a plurality of microminiature light sources, such as LEDs, mounted on an upper surface of the first substrate, a plurality of electrically conductive traces written on the upper surface of the first substrate so as to make electrical interconnections with respective leads of the light sources, a clear filler material surrounding each light source and tapering down to the upper surface of the first substrate so as to planarize it, and a flexible decorative film laminated over the upper surface of the first substrate and light sources, the decorative film containing a plurality of apertures therethrough, each corresponding in location to a respective light source.

Starry sky lighting panels

A lighting panel includes a structural panel, a plurality of inserts containing microminiature light sources, such as LEDs, mounted in openings in the panel or in an appliqu&#xe9; applied thereto, a plurality of electrically conductive traces written on the upper surface of the panel so as to make electrical interconnections with respective leads of the light sources, and a decorative film applied over a bottom surface of the panel and the light sources, the decorative film being translucent or transparent or containing a plurality of apertures therethrough, each corresponding in location to a respective one of the light sources.

Lighting panels including embedded illumination devices and methods of making such panels

A conformal, load bearing, phased array antenna system having a plurality of adjacently positioned antenna aperture sections that collectively form a single, enlarged antenna aperture. The aperture sections are each formed by intersecting wall panels that form a honeycomb-like core having a plurality of electromagnetic radiating elements embedded in the wall panels that form the core. The aperture wall panels are assembled onto a single, multi-faceted back skin, bonded thereto, and then machined to produce a desired surface contour. A radome formed by a single piece of composite material is then bonded to the contoured surface. Antenna electronics printed wiring boards are also bonded to an opposite side of the back skin. The contour is selected to match a mold line of a surface into which the antenna system is installed. The antenna is able to form an integral, load bearing portion of the structure into which it is installed.

Design and fabrication methodology for a phased array antenna with integrated feed structure-conformal load-bearing concept

A phased array antenna aperture able to form a structural, load bearing portion of another structure, for example, a portion of a mobile platform. The antenna aperture is formed with a plurality of radiating elements sandwiched between prepreg fabric plies to form independent wall sections having a plurality of electromagnetic radiating elements embedded therein. The wall sections are secured in a honeycomb arrangement to form an array of cells of radiating elements. The manufacturing methods described herein enable arrays of widely varying sizes and shapes to be created and used as structural, load bearing portions of a wing, fuselage, door panel or other area of a mobile platform. The antenna aperture is lightweight because it does not include the weight of parasitic support components typically required in the construction of phased array antenna apertures.

Structurally integrated antenna aperture and fabrication method

An antenna aperture and method of assembling same. The antenna aperture forms a honeycomb-like core structure with dipole radiating elements integrally formed into structural wall portions of the honeycomb-like core. The antenna aperture has sufficient structural strength to form a structural portion of a mobile platform, while still being sufficiently light in weight for weight-critical applications such as with airborne mobile platforms.

Structurally integrated phased array antenna aperture design and fabrication method

A antenna aperture having electromagnetic radiating elements embedded in structural wall portions of a honeycomb-like core. Independent wall sections each having a plurality electromagnetic radiating elements are formed into the honeycomb-like core. Feed portions of each radiating element form teeth that are copper plated before being assembled onto a back skin panel. Each of the teeth are then generally machined flush with a surface of the back skin to present electrical contact pads which enable electrical coupling to each of the radiating elements by an external antenna electronics board.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Forest Park, WA, United States of America

Joseph A Marshall, Iv