Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Matthew M Thomas

Jack Howard Jacobs

Robert A Glowasky

Bruce E McIlroy

Duane D Grosskrueger

Bernie F Carpenter

Alan R Perry

John M Haake

Michael P Gleason

James P Dunne

Stephen C Buckner

Keith C Schuette

Thaddeus J Podgajny

Michael S Dixon

Robert Pless

A connector tow for providing external electrical access to an electrical device embedded within a composite structure. The connector comprises a plurality of tubes disposed between a pair of opposed film layers. The film layers are adhered to opposite sides of the plurality of tubes and can be comprised of an insulating material so as to electrically isolate the plurality of tubes. By extending through the edge surface of the composite structure, the electrical ports can be accessed during the fabrication of the a composite structure such that the operations of the embedded electrical device can be monitored.

Connector tow

A fiber optic connector for establishing an optical connection with an optical fiber embedded within a composite structure is provided. The fiber optic connector includes a first lens element, such as a metal sheathed graded index (GRIN) lens, that is attached to the portion of the edge surface of the composite structure to which the optical fiber extends. The fiber optic connector also includes an alignment tube and a second optical fiber, external to the composite structure, having an end portion disposed within one end of the alignment tube. By sliding the other end of the alignment tube over the first lens element, optical communication is established between the first optical fiber embedded within the composite structure and the second optical fiber external to the composite structure. The fiber optic connector also typically includes a ferrule mounted upon the end portion of the second optical fiber and inserted at least partially into one end of the alignment tube. In order to effectively couple the optical signals between the embedded optical fiber and the external optical fiber, the fiber optic connector also generally includes a second lens element, such as a second GRIN lens, disposed within a medial portion of the alignment tube for collimating the optical signals.

Fiber optic connector and associated method for establishing an optical

A method is provided for fabricating a composite structure having an externally accessible electrical device embedded therein. At least one supporting ply is initially provided that has first and second depressions. An electrical device having at least one electrical lead is disposed in the first depression and a connector tow having at least one tube with opposed first and second ends is disposed in the second depression. The first end of the tube of the connector tow is electrically connected to the electrical lead. Thereafter, at least one additional ply is stacked on the supporting ply such that the electrical device and the connector tow are embedded. The stacked plies can then be consolidated to form an integral laminate structure. Following the consolidation, the second end of the tube of the connector tow can be accessed through the edge surface of the laminate structure to thereby define an externally accessible electrical port for receiving a corresponding connector. As such, electrical contact can be established with the embedded electrical device via the tube and the electrical lead. By establishing electrical contact with the electrical device during the fabrication process, the operation and therefore the health of the embedded electrical device can thereafter be monitored.

Composite structure having an externally accessible electrical device

A composite structure having an externally accessible electrical device embedded therein includes at least one tube disposed within the composite structure and extending from a first end which is electrically connected to an electrical lead of the electrical device to a second end which opens through the edge surface of the composite structure to thereby define an externally accessible electrical port. By plugging a corresponding connector into the electrical port, electrical contact can be established via the electrical lead with the electrical device embedded within the composite structure. By extending through the edge surface of the composite structure, the electrical ports can be accessed during the fabrication of the composite structure such that the operations of the embedded electrical device can be monitored. In addition, the edge surface of the resulting composite structure can be machined or cut so as to render the respective second ends of any embedded tubes flush with the machined edge of the composite structure to more precisely define the respective electrical ports.

A composite structure and related fabrication method is provided which has a plurality of composite material layers and at least one embedded shape memory alloy component for providing controlled structural deformation. The shape memory alloy component includes a shape memory alloy tendon having a relaxed shape at temperatures below a predetermined transition temperature and a contracted shape at temperatures above the predetermined transition temperature. The shape memory alloy component also comprises a pair of electrically insulating opposing face sheets adhered to opposite sides of the shape memory alloy tendon to electrically isolate the shape memory alloy tendon from the surrounding composite material layers. The shape memory alloy component is embedded within the plurality of composite material layers such that raising the temperature of the shape memory alloy tendon above the transition temperature creates a controlled structural deformation of both the shape memory alloy component and the surrounding composite material layers.

Composite structure adapted for controlled structural deformation

A method for producing a desired resistive taper under computer control for controlling the surface resistivity of an electrical element, which comprises the steps of creating a computer controlled optically graded pattern corresponding to the desired resistive taper, producing a phototool from the graded pattern and using the phototool to photochemically etch the graded pattern onto a substrate.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, IL, United States of America

Matthew M Thomas