Heating means for thermoplastic bonding

A heating element structurally configured for interposition and operation between two composite structures to be bonded together for heating a bonding joint therebetween, each composite structure having cured thereto a thermoplastic adhesive strip, each thermoplastic adhesive strip having a thermoplastic layer defining a bonding surface for the respective composite structure, the bonding surfaces defining the bonding joint between the two composite structures to be bonded together, said heating element comprising:

• an electrical resistance material;
• first and second layers of electrical insulation, said electrical resistance heating material being sandwiched between said first and second layers of electrical insulation;
• a pair of electrical leads connected to said electrical resistance heating material;
• and
• a layer of thermoplastic adhesive material encasing said first and second layers of electrical insulation, said thermoplastic adhesive material encasing said first and second layers of electrical insulation being compatible with and structurally configured for contact with the thermoplastic material layers of the thermoplastic adhesive strips that define the bonding surfaces between the two composite structures to be bonded together, said thermoplastic adhesive material being selected from thermoplastic adhesive materials suitable for bonding composite structures together;
• said heating element being interposable between the composite structures to be bonded together such that said layer of thermoplastic adhesive material contacts the thermoplastic layers of the composite structures to be bonded together;
• said interposable heating element being operable to melt and fuse said layer of thermoplastic adhesive of said interposable heating element to the thermoplastic layers of the composite structures to form the bonding point for the composite structures to be bonded together.