Optical effects for aerodynamic microstructures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751618-B2
Application number	US-201514705547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Aerodynamic microstructures having sub-microstructure are disclosed herein. One disclosed example apparatus includes an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of a vehicle, and a pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure to convey a representation of an image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of a vehicle;
a first pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure, the first pattern having a first reflective property; and
a second pattern of sub-microstructures superimposed on the microstructure, the second pattern having a second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first pattern of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second pattern of sub-microstructures,
the first and the second patterns superimposed on the microstructure to convey a representation of a graphic.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sub-microstructures of the second pattern of sub-microstructures have different shapes compared to the sub-microstructures of the first pattern of sub-microstructures.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns include relatively flat portions of the external surface.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein spacings between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are approximately equal to a wavelength of light.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein surfaces of sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are coated with a reflective coating.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein spacings between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are less than about 0.4 microns.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a color layer proximate the external surface.

8. A method comprising:
providing a first group of sub-microstructures having a first reflective property on an external surface of a microstructure; and
providing a second group of sub-microstructures having a second reflective property on or proximate the external surface, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second group of sub-microstructures to create an optical effect.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the external surface spans a plurality of microstructures.

10. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein providing the first or the second groups of the sub-microstructures comprises embossing sub-microstructures onto the external surface.

11. The method as defined in claim 8 , further comprising aligning a tool to provide the first group of sub-microstructures and re-aligning or moving the tool to provide the second group of sub-microstructures.

12. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein distances between sub-microstructures of the first or second sub-microstructure groups are between about 0.4 and 0.7 microns.

13. A method comprising:
providing a first group of sub-microstructures having a first reflective property on an external surface of a microstructure; and
providing a second group of sub-microstructures having a second reflective property on or proximate the external surface, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second group of sub-microstructures to create an optical effect.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein providing the sub-microstructures comprises directing a tool to provide sub-microstructures of differing dimensions at different positions on the surface.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns have one or more of a parabolic shape, a triangular shape, a grooved shape, a sinusoidal shape, a cone shape, a cylindrical shape, or a plurality of indentations.

16. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein distances between sub-microstructures of the first and the second sub-microstructure patterns are between about 0.4 and 0.7 microns.

17. An apparatus comprising:
an aerodynamic microstructure defining an external surface of an aircraft, comprising:
a first sub-microstructure group superimposed on the aerodynamic microstructure, the first sub-microstructure group having a first reflective property; and
a second sub-microstructure group superimposed on the aerodynamic microstructure, the second sub-microstructure group having a second reflective property, the second reflective property different from the first reflective property, wherein sub-microstructures of the first sub-microstructure group have at least one of a different size or a different orientation from sub-microstructures of the second sub-microstructure group, a combination of the first and the second sub-microstructure groups to convey a representation of a graphic.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the sub-microstructures of the second sub-microstructure group have different shapes compared to the sub-microstructures of the first group of sub-microstructures.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 , further comprising a flat portion of the aerodynamic microstructure to at least partially convey the representation.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Rawlings Diane C
• Williams Timothy Leroy
• Mcgarvey James C
• Kestner James M
• Burg Alan G

Classifications

• B32B2255/10

  on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer · CPC title

• B42D25/324 Primary

  Reliefs · CPC title

• B44F1/02

  produced by reflected light, e.g. matt surfaces, lustrous surfaces · CPC title

• G09F21/08

  the advertising matter being arranged on the aircraft · CPC title

• B32B2307/414

  Translucent · CPC title