Composite panel with integrated heater system and associated methods for manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10356847-B2
Application number	US-201615069800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

Described herein is a composite panel that includes a first layer made from an electrically non-conductive material. The composite panel also includes a resistance heater printed onto the first layer and a capacitive sensor applied onto the first layer. The capacitive sensor is operably coupled with the resistance heater. The composite panel additionally includes a second layer adjacent the resistance heater and the capacitive sensor. The resistance heater and the capacitive sensor are positioned between the first layer and the second layer. Furthermore, the second layer is made from an electrically non-conductive material. The resistance heater is configured to generate heat at least partially in response to input sensed by the capacitive sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite panel, comprising:
a flexible first layer made from an electrically non-conductive material;
a resistance heater printed onto the first layer;
a flexible heater control module applied to the first layer;
a capacitive sensor applied onto the first layer, the capacitive sensor being operably coupled with the resistance heater; and
a second layer adjacent the resistance heater and the capacitive sensor, the resistance heater and the capacitive sensor being positioned between the first layer and the second layer, and the second layer being made from an electrically non-conductive material;
wherein the resistance heater is configured to generate heat at least partially in response to input sensed by the capacitive sensor.

2. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the resistance heater comprises a first ink layer printed onto the first layer and a second ink layer printed onto the first ink layer, the first ink layer being made from a first ink and the second ink layer being made from a second ink different than the first ink.

3. The composite panel of claim 2 , wherein the first ink comprises an electrically conductive ink and the second ink comprises a switching-type positive temperature coefficient ink.

4. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the first layer, resistance heater, capacitive sensor, and second layer together form a sandwich panel, the sandwich panel having a non-planar shape.

5. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein the resistance heater, capacitive sensor, and second layer are flexible.

6. The composite panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the heater control module is configured to vary a voltage to the resistance heater at least partially in response to the input sensed by the capacitive sensor;
the second layer is adjacent the heater control module; and
the heater control module is positioned between the first layer and the second layer.

7. A system, comprising:
a composite panel, comprising:
a first layer made from an electrically non-conductive material;
a resistance heater printed onto the first layer;
a flexible heater control module applied onto the first layer, wherein the heater control module is operable to vary a voltage to the resistance heater; and
a second layer adjacent the resistance heater and the heater control module, the resistance heater and the heater control module being positioned between the first layer and the second layer, and the second layer being made from an electrically non-conductive material;
wherein the resistance heater is configured to generate heat in response to the voltage; and

a system control module external to the composite panel and operatively coupled with the heater control module to at least partially control operation of the heater control module.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system control module is wirelessly coupled with the heater control module.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a passenger input receiver, wherein the heater control module is operable to vary the voltage to the resistance heater at least partially in response to input provided by a passenger via the passenger input receiver.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the passenger input receiver comprises a capacitive sensor applied onto the first layer and communicatively coupled with the heater control module to communicate the input provided by the passenger via the capacitive sensor to the heater control module; and
the capacitive sensor is positioned between the first layer and the second layer of the composite panel.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger input receiver comprises a passenger mobile device communicatively coupled with the system control module to communicate input provided by the passenger via the passenger mobile device to the heater control module.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system control module is configured to:
determine whether a temperature condition threshold has been reached; and
prevent the heater control module from varying the voltage to the resistance heater in response to input provided by the passenger via the passenger input receiver when the system control module determines the temperature condition threshold has been reached.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the heater control module is configured to monitor a health condition of the resistance heater and communicate the health condition to the system control module.

14. A method of making a composite panel, comprising:
providing a first electrically non-conductive layer, wherein the first electrically non-conductive layer is flexible;
applying a flexible heater control module onto the first electrically non-conductive layer;
applying a capacitive sensor onto the first electrically non-conductive layer;
printing a resistance heater onto the first electrically non-conductive layer; and
applying a second electrically non-conductive layer onto the heater control module, capacitive sensor, and resistance heater to form the composite panel.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein printing the resistance heater onto the first electrically non-conductive layer comprises:
printing an electrically conductive layer onto the first electrically non-conductive layer using a conductive ink; and
printing a heater layer onto the electrically conductive layer using a switching-type positive temperature coefficient ink.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the capacitive sensor onto the first electrically non-conductive layer comprises printing the capacitive sensor onto the first electrically non-conductive layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein printing the capacitive sensor and the resistance heater onto the first electrically non-conductive layer comprises at least one of screen printing, inkjet printing, rotary screen printing, gravure printing, and atomized jetted depositing the capacitive sensor and the resistance heater onto the first electrically non-conductive layer.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the heater control module onto the first electrically non-conductive layer comprises printing the heater control module onto the first electrically non-conductive layer.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising shaping the composite panel into a non-planar shape.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising at least one of hardening and curing the composite panel in the non-planar shape.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Duce Jeffrey L
• Richardson Marcus K
• Brown Myles E

Classifications

• Y02B30/26

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H05B3/36

  heating conductor embedded in insulating material · CPC title

• H05B2203/013

  Heaters using resistive films or coatings · CPC title

• H05B3/20

  Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional [2D] plane, e.g. plate-heater (H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78, H05B3/84 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24D2220/2081

  Floor or wall heating panels · CPC title