US 7,583,506 B1Granted

Multi operational system apparatus and method

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsJames P. Huang, Russell M. Abbott, David J. Nakamura, Leslie A. Momoda, Kevin J. Rooney, Bruce L. Drolen, John H. Belk, William Barvosa-Carter, Brian R. Foy

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Abstract

An apparatus may have a multilayered support base having a structural section made up of operating components and a function support section. The function support section may have transmission paths and components to supply thermal, power transmission, information and communication paths, along with other functions. At least some of the components may be heat generating and may have a thermal interface surface which may be in operating and heat conductive relationship with a heat conductive substrate/routing section which may have operative connections to the multilayered support base. Some of the components may transmit and receive with one another through the substrate/routing section.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fully integrated operating assembly comprising:

an operating section comprising a plurality of operating components comprising a plurality of the following:
an antenna, a sensor, a solar cell, a mechanical device, a motor, a traveling wave tube, and a solar array;
a base section to which the operating section is mounted, the base section comprising:
a structural section comprising a plurality of structural layers;
a function support section comprising a plurality of function support regions, the function support regions positioned between the plurality of structural layers;
the function support section further comprising a plurality of function support paths and at least one function support component, the function support paths and the at least one function support component being positioned within the function support regions, wherein the function support paths comprise a plurality of the following:
at least one thermal path for transmitting thermal distribution, at least one data path for transmitting data, at least one signal path for transmitting signals, and at least one power path for transmitting power, and wherein the at least one function support component comprises at least one of an embedded battery, a heat pipe, a communication link, a power converter, and a control device;
and
vertical connections extending between the operating components, the structural layers, the function support paths, and the at least one function support component;
wherein the function support paths and the vertical connections transmit between the operating components, the structural section, the function support section, and the at least one function support component in order to provide the fully integrated operating assembly with a plurality of the following:
said thermal distribution by distributing heat from the operating components using the at least one thermal path and the vertical connections, said data using the at least one data path and the vertical connections, said signals using the at least one signal path and the vertical connections, and said power using the at least one power path and the vertical connections.

8 more elements

A method of providing functional support to operating components in a fully integrated operating assembly comprising:

securing an operating section, comprising a plurality of operating components, adjacent to a base section, wherein the operating components comprise a plurality of the following:
an antenna, a sensor, a solar cell, a mechanical device, a motor, a traveling wave tube, and a solar array, and wherein the base section comprises a structural section comprising a plurality of structural layers, and a function support section comprising a plurality of function support regions, the function support regions positioned between the plurality of structural layers;
positioning within the function support section a plurality of function support paths and at least one function support component comprising at least one of:
an embedded battery, a heat pipe, a communication link, a power converter, and a control device, wherein the function support paths comprise a plurality of the following:
at least one thermal path, at least one data path, at least one signal path, and at least one power path;
operatively linking the operating components, the function support paths, and the at least one function support component with vertical connections extending between the operating components, the structural layers, the function support paths, and the at least one function support component;
and
transmitting at least one of:
thermal distribution by distributing heat from the operating components using the at least one thermal path and the vertical connections, data using the at least one data path and the vertical connections, signals using the at least one signal path and the vertical connections, and power using the at least one power path and the vertical connections.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.