Insulation blanket assemblies and methods

1 . An insulation blanket assembly for use on an aircraft, the insulation blanket assembly comprising:

a cover having an inboard material and an outboard material;

an insulation material between the inboard material and the outboard material, wherein an edge of the inboard material is attached to an edge of the outboard material, thereby forming a unit structure configured to be installed within the aircraft;

one or more elongated support rails each being attached to at least one of the cover or the insulation material, wherein the one or more support rails are configured to extend transverse relative to a plurality of aircraft stringers to define drainage paths for channeling moisture, and wherein the one or more support rails provide separation between an aircraft structure and the insulation material to reduce or eliminate moisture from transferring to the insulation material; and

at least one of the following:

(i) wherein at least one elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails includes a beveled edge on opposing ends of the elongated member to facilitate sliding the insulation blanket assembly into position prior to securing to the aircraft structure;

(ii) wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of a flexible foam material, and wherein the cover and the insulation material are flexible, such that the insulation blanket assembly radially conforms to a shape of a fuselage of the aircraft when installed;

(iii) wherein an edge of the outboard material is attached to an edge of the inboard material with tape, and wherein the one or more elongated support rails are attached with double-sided tape;

(iv) wherein a first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a first width, wherein a second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a second width that is less than the first width, and wherein the first elongated support rail and the second elongated support rail are comprised of the same foam material such that the first elongated support rail has a different stiffness than the second elongated support rail to provide rigidity to the insulation blanket assembly;

(v) wherein each elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a length that is less than a length of the cover such that ends of the one or more support rails are separated laterally from a perimeter of the cover;

(vi) wherein a first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a first length, wherein a second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a second length that is less than the first length to provide variable rigidity along the insulation blanket assembly; and

(vii) wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of a closed cell foam.

2 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails are attached to the insulation material such that the one or more elongated support rails are positioned between the outboard material and the insulation material.

3 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails are attached to the outboard material such that the outboard material is between the insulation material and the one or more elongated support rails.

4 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails includes the beveled edge on opposing ends of the elongated member to facilitate sliding the insulation blanket assembly into position prior to securing to the aircraft structure.

5 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of the flexible foam material, and wherein the cover and the insulation material are flexible, such that the insulation blanket assembly radially conforms to the shape of the fuselage of the aircraft when installed.

6 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the edge of the outboard material is attached to the edge of the inboard material with the tape, and wherein the one or more elongated support rails are attached with the double-sided tape.

7 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has the first width, wherein the second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has the second width that is less than the first width, and wherein the first elongated support rail and the second elongated support rail are comprised of the same foam material such that the first elongated support rail has the different stiffness than the second elongated support rail to provide rigidity to the insulation blanket assembly.

8 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of attachment portions, wherein each attachment portion comprises a hole that extends through the cover and the insulation material to facilitate attachment of the insulation blanket assembly to the aircraft structure with a fastener.

9 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein each elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has the length that is less than the length of the cover such that ends of the one or more support rails are separated laterally from the perimeter of the cover.

10 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has the first length, wherein the second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has the second length that is less than the first length to provide variable rigidity along the insulation blanket assembly.

11 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails comprise at least two elongated support rails that extend in a parallel direction relative to each other.

12 . An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage comprising a plurality of frame structures and a plurality of stringers attached to the plurality of frame structures, the plurality of stringers extending laterally along a length of the fuselage; and

the insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 attached to at least one frame structure of the plurality of frame structures or to at least one stringer of the plurality of stringers, wherein the one or more elongated support rails extend transverse relative to the plurality of stringers.

13 . The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails extend perpendicular relative to the plurality of stringers such that the one or more elongated support rails provide a drainage path downwardly towards a lower area of the fuselage.

14 . The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein first hook tape is aligned along a first inner mold line of a first frame structure of the plurality of frame structures and second hook tape is aligned along a second inner mold line of a second frame structure of the plurality of frame structures, wherein a first group of blanket tabs attached to a first edge of an outboard material of a cover of the insulation blanket assembly is attached to the first hook tape via first loop tape, and wherein a second group of blanket tabs attached to a second edge of the outboard material is attached to the second hook tape via second loop tape.

15 . The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the first hook tape and the second hook tape comprise double-sided tape.

16 . The insulation blanket assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of the closed cell foam.

17 . A method of making an insulation blanket assembly for an aircraft, the method comprising:

providing an insulation material;

forming a cover having an inboard material and an outboard material, wherein the insulation material is between the inboard material and the outboard material, wherein an edge of the inboard material is attached to an edge of the outboard material, thereby forming a unit structure configured to be installed within the aircraft; and

prior to or after forming the cover, attaching one or more elongated support rails to at least one of the cover or the insulation material such that, when installed on the aircraft, the one or more elongated support rails provide separation of the insulation material from an outer panel of the aircraft material to reduce or eliminate moisture from transferring to the insulation material, and wherein the one or more support rails are configured to extend transverse relative to a plurality of aircraft stringers to define drainage paths for channeling moisture; and

providing at least one of the following:

(i) wherein at least one elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails includes a beveled edge on opposing ends of the elongated member to facilitate sliding the insulation blanket assembly into position prior to securing to the aircraft structure;

(ii) wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of a flexible foam material, and wherein the cover and the insulation material are flexible, such that the insulation blanket assembly radially conforms to a shape of a fuselage of the aircraft when installed;

(iii) wherein an edge of the outboard material is attached to an edge of the inboard material with tape, and wherein the one or more elongated support rails are attached with double-sided tape;

(iv) wherein a first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a first width, wherein a second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a second width that is less than the first width, and wherein the first elongated support rail and the second elongated support rail are comprised of the same foam material such that the first elongated support rail has a different stiffness than the second elongated support rail to provide rigidity to the insulation blanket assembly;

(v) wherein each elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a length that is less than a length of the cover such that ends of the one or more support rails are separated laterally from a perimeter of the cover;

(vi) wherein a first elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a first length, wherein a second elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails has a second length that is less than the first length to provide variable rigidity along the insulation blanket assembly; and

(vii) wherein the one or more elongated support rails are comprised of a closed cell foam.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein attaching the one or more elongated support rails comprises attaching the one or more elongated support rails to the insulation material such that the one or more elongated support rails are positioned between the outboard material and the insulation material.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein attaching the one or more elongated support rails comprises attaching the one or more elongated support rails to the outboard material such that the outboard material is between the insulation material and the one or more elongated support rails.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising, prior to attaching the one or more elongated support rails, forming a beveled edge on opposing ends of an elongated member, wherein the elongated member corresponds to at least one elongated support rail of the one or more elongated support rails.