Granted Patent B2

US 12,377,949 · App. 18/171,514 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Alain A. Adjorlolo (Shoreline, WA); Patrice K. Ackerman (Kent, WA); Jason A. Bolles (Kent, WA)

Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY

B64C1/00C08K7/06C08L63/00C09D7/70B64C2001/0072C08L2205/16

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A co-curable composite material fuselage assembly comprising:

a co-curable composite material substrate, said co-curable composite material substrate comprising a co-curable composite material substrate first side and a co-curable composite material substrate second side;

a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer, said co-curable UV-resistant coating layer comprising a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer first side and a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer second side, only said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer configured to be in immediate contact with at least one of the co-curable composite material substrate first side and the co-cured composite material substrate second side, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer consisting of a single ply layer co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer exclusively imparting 100% of a degree of UV/visible light protection imparted to the co-curable composite material substrate by the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprising at least one of fiberglass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, quartz, and combinations thereof;

wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer has a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate in combination with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer is configured to form a co-curable composite material fuselage assembly;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate is co-curable with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer at a temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 410° F. to form a co-cured composite material fuselage assembly in a co-cured state;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate second side is in direct contact with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer first side;

wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer completely covers the co-curable composite material substrate second side; and

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate assembly does not contain an additional UV/visible light-resistant layer.

2. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate further comprises a fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix.

3. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix comprises at least one of carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, polyester fibers, and combinations thereof.

4. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer.

5. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises a plurality of carbon fiber reinforced polymer prepregs.

6. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises an outer mold line.

7. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises an inner mold line.

8. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises both an outer mold line and an inner mold line.

9. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material fuselage assembly is configured to form a co-cured composite material fuselage assembly exterior in the co-cured state.

10. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material fuselage assembly is configured to form a co-cured composite material fuselage assembly interior in the co-cured state.

11. The co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the co-curable composite material substrate comprises at least one of an outer mold line and an inner mold line.

12. A vehicle comprising the co-curable composite material fuselage assembly of claim 1 in a co-cured state.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

a crewed aircraft, an uncrewed aircraft, a crewed spacecraft, an uncrewed spacecraft, a crewed rotorcraft, an uncrewed rotorcraft, a crewed terrestrial vehicle, an uncrewed terrestrial vehicle, a crewed surface water borne vehicle, an uncrewed waterborne vehicle, a crewed sub-surface water borne vehicle, an uncrewed sub-surface water borne vehicle, a satellite, and combinations thereof.

14. A method comprising:

providing a co-curable composite material substrate, said co-curable composite material substrate comprising a co-curable composite material substrate first side and a co-curable composite material substrate second side;

providing a co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer onto said co-curable composite material substrate second side, only said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer configured to be in immediate contact with at least one of the co-curable composite material substrate first side and the co-cured composite material substrate second side, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer consisting of a single ply layer co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer exclusively imparting 100% of a degree of UV/visible light protection imparted to the co-curable composite material substrate by the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprising at least one of fiberglass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester fibers, aramid fibers, boron fibers, quartz, and combinations thereof, said co-curable UV/visible light-resistant layer having a UV/visible light transmittance value of 0% to about 20% for UV/visible light wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 800 nm when the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer comprises an average thickness ranging from about 2 mils to about 6 mils;

applying the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer onto said co-curable composite material substrate second side;

co-curing the co-curable composite substrate material substrate with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer to form a co-cured composite material fuselage assembly in a co-cured state;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate is co-curable with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer at a temperature ranging from about 250° F. to about 410° F. to form a co-cured composite material fuselage assembly in a co-cured state;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate second side is in direct contact with the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer first side;

wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer completely covers the co-curable composite material substrate second side;

wherein the co-curable composite material substrate assembly does not contain an additional UV/visible light-resistant layer; and

wherein the co-curable UV/visible light-resistant coating layer alone is configured to be solely responsible for UV/visible light-resistance imparted to the co-curable composite material fuselage assembly in the co-cured state.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said co-cured composite material fuselage assembly is configured to form an aircraft fuselage exterior.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said co-cured composite material fuselage assembly is configured to form an aircraft fuselage interior.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (46)