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US 10,946,978 B1Granted
Systems and methods for conductive aircraft sensors
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorStepan V. Lunin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airborne platform includes a body and a sensor device. The body includes a first material having a first flexibility. The sensor device is positioned inside the body, and includes an electric conductor. The electric conductor includes a second material that has a second flexibility that is less than the first flexibility. The sensor device is configured to output an output signal indicating whether the sensor device has undergone mechanical failure in response to a load applied to the sensor device that is greater than a load threshold.
Claims19
An airborne platform, comprising:
- a body comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion made from a first material having a first flexibility;
- a first sensor device embedded within the body and impregnated on the first portion, the first sensor device comprising a first electric conductor, the first electric conductor comprising a second material having a second flexibility that is less than the first flexibility, the first sensor device configured to output an output signal indicating whether the first sensor device has undergone mechanical failure in response to a load applied to the first sensor device that is greater than a first load threshold;
- and
- a second sensor device impregnated in the body, the second sensor device comprising a second electric conductor comprising a third material having a third flexibility that is less than the first flexibility, the second sensor device oriented at an angle relative to the first portion and the first sensor device such that a second load threshold at which the second sensor device undergoes mechanical failure is greater than the first load threshold at which the first sensor device undergoes mechanical failure.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- fabricating a first portion of a body of an airborne platform using a composite material, the composite material having a first flexibility;
- impregnating a first sensor device on the first portion, the first sensor device comprising a first electric conductor comprising a second material having a second flexibility that is less than the first flexibility;
- impregnating a second sensor device in the body, the second sensor device comprising a second electric conductor comprising a third material having a third flexibility that is less than the first flexibility;
- orienting the second sensor device at an angle relative to the first portion and the first sensor device such that a second load threshold at which the second sensor device undergoes mechanical failure is greater than a first load threshold at which the first sensor device undergoes mechanical failure;
- fabricating a second portion of the body of the airborne platform on the first portion, the first sensor device, and the second sensor device using the composite material such that the first sensor device and the second sensor device are located inside the body and the second sensor device is angled relative to the second portion;
- receiving a load at the first sensor device;
- and
- outputting an output signal indicating whether the first sensor device has undergone mechanical failure based on whether the received load is greater than the first load threshold.
5 more elements
A sensor system, comprising:
- a first sensor device embedded within a body of an airborne platform and impregnated on a first portion of the body, the first sensor device comprising a first electric conductor, the first electric conductor comprising a first material having a first flexibility that is less than a second flexibility of the body, the first sensor device configured to output an output signal indicating whether the first sensor device has undergone mechanical failure in response to a load applied to the first sensor device that is greater than a first load threshold, the first material selected based on an expected load applied to the first sensor device, the body having a second flexibility that is greater than the first flexibility;
- and
- a second sensor device impregnated in the body, the second sensor device comprising a second electric conductor comprising a third material having a third flexibility that is less than the first flexibility, the second sensor device oriented at an angle relative to the first portion and the first sensor device such that a second load threshold at which the second sensor device undergoes mechanical failure is greater than the first load threshold at which the first sensor device undergoes mechanical failure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.