Embedded lighting, microphone, and speaker features for composite panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10091567-B2
Application number	US-201614994863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Embedded lighting, microphone, and speaker features for composite panels are described. An example composite panel includes a plurality of plies assembled in a stack-up, and a trace sheet with electrically conductive traces and a plurality of transducer discs positioned onto the electrically conductive traces at positions such that the electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the transducer discs. The trace sheet is included as an internal ply in the stack-up of the plurality of plies. The composite panel also includes a composite base upon which the stack-up of the plurality of plies is applied, and the plurality of plies are cured upon the composite base to integrate the trace sheet and the plurality of transducer discs into the composite base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite panel, comprising:
a plurality of plies assembled in a stack-up;
a trace sheet with electrically conductive traces and a plurality of transducer discs positioned onto the electrically conductive traces at positions such that the electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the transducer discs, wherein the trace sheet is included as an internal ply in the stack-up of the plurality of plies, wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes one or more of acoustic-to-electric transducers that convert sound into an electrical signal and electroacoustic transducers that convert an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound;
wherein the trace sheet further comprises: a second plurality of electrically conductive traces, and a plurality of light sources mounted onto the second plurality of electrically conductive traces at light mounting positions such that the second plurality of electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the second plurality of electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the plurality of light sources; and
a composite base upon which the stack-up of the plurality of plies is applied, wherein the plurality of plies are cured upon the composite base to integrate the trace sheet and the plurality of transducer discs into the composite base, and wherein the plurality of light sources are embedded into the composite base.

2. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the trace sheet includes the electrically conductive traces and the plurality of transducer discs printed thereon.

3. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes piezo-electric microphone components printed on the trace sheet.

4. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plies include a polymer sheet, and wherein the trace sheet is provided in the stack-up between the polymer sheet and the composite base.

5. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the composite base includes a honeycomb core panel.

6. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the trace sheet comprises a substrate having a planar surface and the electrically conductive traces printed onto the planar surface of the substrate.

7. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes acoustic-to-electric transducers that convert sound into an electrical signal, and wherein the trace sheet further comprises:
a third plurality of electrically conductive traces; and
a plurality of loud-speaker transducers positioned onto the third plurality of electrically conductive traces at positions such that the third plurality of electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the third plurality of electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the plurality of loud-speaker transducers, wherein the plurality of loud-speaker transducers include electroacoustic transducers that convert an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound,
wherein the plurality of loud-speaker transducers are embedded into the composite base.

8. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes electroacoustic transducers that convert an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound, and wherein the trace sheet further comprises:
a third plurality of electrically conductive traces; and
a plurality of microphone transducers positioned onto the third plurality of electrically conductive traces at positions such that the third plurality of electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the third plurality of electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the plurality of microphone transducers, wherein the plurality of microphone transducers include acoustic-to-electric transducers that convert sound into an electrical signal,
wherein the plurality of microphone transducers are embedded into the composite base.

9. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the composite panel comprises an aircraft wall, ceiling panel, or aircraft interior structure.

10. A composite panel, comprising:
a plurality of plies assembled in a stack-up;
a trace sheet with electrically conductive traces and a plurality of transducer discs positioned onto the electrically conductive traces at positions such that the electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the transducer discs, wherein the trace sheet is included as an internal ply in the stack-up of the plurality of plies, wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes acoustic-to-electric transducers that convert sound into an electrical signal;
wherein the trace sheet further comprises: a second plurality of electrically conductive traces, and a plurality of loud-speaker transducers positioned onto the second plurality of electrically conductive traces at positions such that the second plurality of electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the second plurality of electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the plurality of loud-speaker transducers, wherein the plurality of loud-speaker transducers include electroacoustic transducers that convert an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound; and
a composite base upon which the stack-up of the plurality of plies is applied, wherein the plurality of plies are cured upon the composite base to integrate the trace sheet and the plurality of transducer discs into the composite base, and wherein the plurality of loud-speaker transducers are embedded into the composite base.

11. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the trace sheet includes the electrically conductive traces and the plurality of transducer discs printed thereon.

12. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of transducer discs includes piezo-electric microphone components printed on the trace sheet.

13. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of plies include a polymer sheet, and wherein the trace sheet is provided in the stack-up between the polymer sheet and the composite base.

14. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the composite base includes a honeycomb core panel.

15. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the trace sheet comprises a substrate having a planar surface and the electrically conductive traces printed onto the planar surface of the substrate.

16. The composite panel of claim 10 , wherein the composite panel comprises an aircraft wall, ceiling panel, or aircraft interior structure.

17. The composite panel of claim 15 , wherein the trace sheet further comprises:
a third plurality of electrically conductive traces; and
a plurality of light sources mounted onto the third plurality of electrically conductive traces at light mounting positions such that the third plurality of electrically conductive traces form an electrical interconnection between selected ones of the third plurality of electrically conductive traces and associated ones of the plurality of light sources,
wherein the plurality of light sources are embedded into the composite base and are also flush with a top surface of the stack-up, and the substrate is also embedded into the composite base underneath the plurality of light sources at the light mounting positions.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Schalla James
• Duce Jeff

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R2201/021

  Transducers or their casings adapted for mounting in or to a wall or ceiling · CPC title

• H04R1/025 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title