One piece multifunctional nanolaminated composite window panel
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJiangtian Cheng, Paul S. Nordman
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Abstract
One piece, multifunctional window assemblies for use in vehicles, equipment, or structures and methods for making them is provided. The disclosed window assembly can include a protection panel and a structural panel each formed of a plurality of nanolaminated layers. The nanolaminated window assembly is self-supporting and does not need a frame. For particular applications, such as in an aircraft, the one piece, multifunctional, nanolaminated window can be directly attached to the fuselage to provide load bearing capability, a larger window area, impact protection, ice buildup prevention, and/or electromagnetic effect protection.
Claims24
A window assembly comprising:
- a protection panel comprising,
- a surface barrier transparent polymer layer comprising a transparent thermoplastic material;
- a surface barrier reinforcement layer formed of a plurality of nanolaminated layers disposed on the surface barrier transparent polymer layer, wherein the nanolaminated layers comprise one of carbon nanotubes, indium tin oxide with graphene or combinations thereof;
- and
- a structural panel disposed on the protection panel, the structural panel comprising,
- a structural transparent polymer layer comprising a transparent thermoplastic material and
- one or more structural reinforcement layers disposed on the structural transparent polymer layer, wherein each of the one or more structural reinforcement layers comprise a plurality of nanolaminated layers, the nanolaminated layers comprising Al2O3, SiO2, graphene, or combinations thereof,
- wherein the structural panel includes a structural panel edge that extends beyond a protection panel edge, and
- wherein the structural panel edge mounts the window assembly directly to an aircraft to provide load bearing capability without a window frame.
A window assembly comprising:
- a protection panel comprising,
- a surface barrier layer, and
- an electromagnetic effect (EME) protection layer disposed on the surface barrier layer;
- and
- a structural panel disposed on the protection panel, the structural panel comprising,
- a bottom surface protection layer,
- a structural layer disposed on the bottom surface protection layer, and
- a transparent conductive coating layer disposed on the structural layer,
- wherein the window assembly has a transmissivity of about 45% to about 99% to visible light, and
- wherein the structural panel comprises a structural panel edge that extends past a protection panel edge and bears a structural load when mounted directly to a vehicle without a window frame.
A window assembly for use as a window pane comprising:
- a protection panel comprising a protection panel edge;
- and
- a structural panel disposed on the protection panel, the structural panel comprising a plurality of nanolaminated layers, each of the plurality of nanolaminated having a thickness in a range from 20 nm to 1,000 nm,
- wherein the structural panel has a tensile stress of about 30 ksi to about 2,000 ksi to bear a structural load when mounted directly to a vehicle without a window frame, and
- wherein the window assembly has a transmissivity of about 45% to about 99% to visible light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.