The Boeing Company

Otis Franklin Layton

Manny S Urcia

Joseph A Marshall

Douglas Alan McCarville

Jeffrey Lynn Duce

Joseph A Marshall, Iv

Adrian Viisoreanu

Joseph Lawrence Hafenrichter

Kenneth Harlan Griess

Julio A Navarro

Tai Anh Lam

David L Banks

Charles W Manry, Jr

Mark John Gardner

Kevin O'Brien Gaw

Michael P Thompson

Manny Salazar Urcia, Jr

Daniel Joseph Sego

Matthew A Stoneback

Victoria L Garcia

Steven J Bullock

Thomas F Klein, Iii

Joseph A Marshall Vi

Mark J Gardner

Joseph A Iv Marshall

Thomas F Klein Iii

The disclosure provides in one embodiment an electrical conductor pathway system for diverting an electric charge. The electrical conductor pathway system includes a substrate having a first surface to be printed on and having one or more grounding points. The electrical conductor pathway system further includes a direct write conductive material pattern printed directly onto the first surface via a direct write printing process. The direct write conductive material pattern forms one or more electrical pathways interconnected with the one or more grounding points. The one or more electrical pathways interconnected with the one or more grounding points divert the electric charge from the first surface to the one or more grounding points.

Electrical conductor pathway system and method of making the same

Disclosed systems and tooling for manufacturing flanged ducts may improve upon prior art manufacturing techniques, such as by increasing ease of manufacturing and/or quality of resulting parts formed by the systems and tooling. One example of tooling includes a first tool piece that may be coupled to a base, and a second tool piece that is selectively coupled to and removable from the first tool piece. When positioned together in a closed position, the first tool piece and second tool piece form a composite material-receiving surface and a flange surface on which composite material may be placed and cured in order to form a composite part, such as a flanged duct. Such tooling may allow for placement of composite material over a male radius of the tooling, thereby improving ergonomics of the manufacturing process, as compared to attempting to place composite material into a female radius of prior art tooling.

Systems and tooling for manufacturing composite parts and related methods

An antenna electronics attachment system is disclosed. The antenna electronics attachment system includes a structural honeycomb panel having an array of cells. The antenna electronics attachment system further includes a nutplate coupled to a mounting plate via a plurality of embedded fastening structures. The mounting plate is shaped to fit substantially precisely to a cell of the structural honeycomb panel. The antenna electronics attachment system also includes an electronic component coupled to the nutplate. And, the antenna electronics attachment system further includes mechanical-electronic coupling means operable for change-out while in-service of the electronic component.

Structurally integrated antenna aperture electronics attachment design

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 method and apparatus comprising a resin layer, a number of conductive elements, and a number of layers of reinforcement material. The number of conductive elements is on the resin layer. The number of conductive elements has a configuration that forms an antenna system. The number of layers of reinforcement material forms a reinforcement for a composite structure, and at least a portion of the resin layer forms a matrix for the composite structure.

Integrated antenna system

A structural wideband aperture assembly and methods are presented. A non-conductive structural backsheet comprises electrical vias. A structural egg-crate core comprises a grid of core strips coupled to the non-conductive structural backsheet and is configured substantially perpendicular to the non-conductive structural backsheet around open boxes. A non-structural grid of antenna feed cards is configured substantially perpendicular to the non-conductive structural backsheet and crosses the core strips. A non-structural grid of antenna feed cards comprises intersections configured within the open boxes, and electronic feed-lines aligned with the electrical vias. Antenna array unit cells comprising antenna cards coupled to the non-structural grid of antenna feed cards and configured to fit within the open boxes.

Structural wideband multifunctional aperture manufacturing

A method and apparatus for reworking an antenna aperture. A plurality of antenna cells comprise walls and antenna elements on the walls. Replacement antenna cells are placed adjacent to the plurality of antenna cells. The replacement antenna cells comprise a replacement wall and a replacement antenna element on the replacement wall. A conductive splice is attached to the replacement antenna element and to a one of the antenna elements on a one of the walls.

Reworking array structures

A method of manufacture of antenna electronics attachment is disclosed. A nutplate is coupled to a mounting plate via a plurality of embedded fastening structures such that mechanical-electronic coupling means allow in-service change-out of an electronic component coupled to the nutplate.

Structurally integrated antenna aperture electronics attachment design and methodology

A structural phased array antenna and method for manufacturing are disclosed. An integrated structural antenna aperture can be used to reduce net weight, cost, and volume where an array of antenna elements are incorporated into a structural member, e.g. in a spacecraft. A structural material layer, such as a structural foam, may be used with the array of individual antenna element cavities machined into the layer. The antenna element cavities are lined with a conductive material, such as plated aluminum. Facesheets may be bonded to the front and/or backside of the structural material layer in order to increase strength and/or stiffness using an RF transparent material. The array of antenna elements may be coupled to filters at the back side of structural material layer.

Structural feed aperture for space based phased array antennas

Growing community of inventors

Bonney Lake, WA, United States of America

Otis Franklin Layton