Laminated window structure and its method of fabrication
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorJohn E. Stefanik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a transparent laminated window or canopy for aircraft and the like, flexible fabric tape impregnated with a silicone elastomeric adhesive applied against a surface of one of the plies or reinforcements of the window is used to bond at least one of the plies or reinforcements to another element of the laminated window or to a reinforcing frame of an aircraft panel which comprises the laminated window. Such tape is easier to apply during the assembly operation than previously used silicone pastes, thereby reducing the cost of fabricating aircraft panels incorporating said window or canopy without paying any unduly large penalty in adhesion between the elements of the panel.
Claims7
A transparent laminated window or canopy for aircraft and the like comprising a vision area comprising alternate plies of a rigid, transparent glazing material selected from the class consisting of glass, polycarbonates, acrylic esters and polyesters, and of a flexible interlayer material selected from the class consisting of polyurethanes, silicones and polyvinyl acetals and a marginal edge portion unitary with and surrounding said vision area and comprising a reinforcement member bonded to a ply of said interlayer material and a fabric tape impregnated with a silicone elastomeric adhesive and having substantially uniform thickness after said fabric is impregnated bonded between said reinforcing member and an adjacent surface of one of said plies of rigid, transparent glazing material, said ply of interlayer material being reduced in thickness in said marginal edge portion along one surface thereof to receive said reinforcing member.
A method of fabricating a laminated transparent window or canopy for aircraft or the like comprising assembling a plurality of alternate plies of a rigid, transparent glazing material selected from the class consisting of glass, polycarbonates, acrylic esters and polyesters, alternating with plies of a flexible interlayer material selected from the class consisting of polyurethanes, silicones, and polyvinyl acetals, wherein at least one of said plies of flexible interlayer material has a marginal portion of reduced thickness, applying a reinforcing member to said marginal portion of reduced thickness, applying an impregnated flexible fabric tape impregnated with a silicone elastomeric adhesive in a curable state and having substantially uniform thickness after said tape is impregnated between said reinforcing member and the marginal portion of an adjacent ply of said rigid, transparent glazing material to form an assembly to be laminated, and laminating said assembly under sufficient heat and pressure for sufficient time to cure said silicone elastomeric adhesive and to adhere said alternate plies to one another to form a unitary structure having a transparent vision area within said marginal edge portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.