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US 12,521,964 B2Granted
Multi-region surfacing film for enhanced adhesion of finishes to thermoplastic surfaces
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael Harris Larson, Marcus Anthony Belcher, Gwendolyn Marie Janda, Gregory Martin Reyneke, Ying Shi
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Abstract
Thermoplastic composite material structures comprise a multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer that further comprises first and second regions within the multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer having visually-detectable colors different from one another to facilitate surfacing film layer processing, and processing of the thermoplastic composite material stack.
Claims28
A multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer for a thermoplastic composite substrate, the multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer comprising:
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region comprising a first visually-detectable color and further comprising a thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region average thickness;
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region positioned immediately adjacent the thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region comprising a second visually-detectable color and further comprising a thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness;
- wherein said thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region is co-extruded with the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region to form the multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film;
- wherein the first visually-detectable color is visually different from the second visually-detectable color;
- and
- wherein the thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region average thickness compared to the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness establishes a ratio ranging from about 3:1 to about 10:1.
3 more elements
A thermoplastic composite structure comprising:
- a thermoplastic composite material substrate comprising a thermoplastic composite material substrate surface;
- a multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer positioned immediately adjacent the thermoplastic composite material substrate surface, said multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer comprising:
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region positioned immediately adjacent the thermoplastic composite material substrate surface, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region comprising a first visually-detectable color and a thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region average thickness;
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region positioned immediately adjacent the thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region comprising a second visually-detectable color and a thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness;
- wherein said thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region is co-extruded with the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region to form the multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer;
- wherein the first visually-detectable color is visually distinct from the second visually-detectable color;
- and
- wherein the thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region average thickness compared to the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness establishes a ratio ranging from about 3:1 to about 10:1.
5 more elements
A method for treating a thermoplastic composite material surface comprising:
- providing a thermoplastic composite substrate comprising a thermoplastic composite substrate surface;
- applying a multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer to the thermoplastic composite substrate surface, said multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer comprising:
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region positioned immediately adjacent the composite material substrate surface, said surfacing film layer first region comprising a first visually-detectable color and a surfacing film layer first region average thickness;
- a thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region positioned immediately adjacent the surfacing film layer first region, said thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region comprising a second visually-detectable color and a second surfacing film layer region average thickness, said second visually-detectable color visually distinct from the first visually-detectable color;
- removing a selected thickness from the multi-region thermoplastic surfacing film layer, said selected thickness corresponding to the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness;
- detecting a color change at an outer surface of the multi-region surfacing film layer to confirm removal of the selected thickness from the multi-layer surfacing film layer;
- and
- wherein the thermoplastic surfacing film layer first region average thickness compared to the thermoplastic surfacing film layer second region average thickness establishes a ratio ranging from about 3:1 to about 10:1.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.