Patent ID: 9270016
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: B29C,H01Q,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus comprising: a thermoplastic resin layer; a number of conductive elements on the thermoplastic resin layer, wherein the number of conductive elements has a configuration that forms an antenna system and the antenna system comprises a slot antenna system; a number of layers of reinforcement material, wherein the number of layers of reinforcement material form a reinforcement for a composite structure, and at least a portion of the thermoplastic resin layer forms a matrix for the composite structure, the thermoplastic resin layer, the number of conductive elements, and the number of layers of reinforcement material consolidated in a nonplanar configuration; and a composite layer including a fiberglass layer, a reinforcement layer, a thermoplastic resin layer of the composite layer, and a thermoset resin layer; wherein the antenna system is integrated into the composite structure, the composite structure comprising a wing of an aircraft such that the number of layers have a surface in a shape of the wing; wherein the number of conductive elements are formed on the thermoplastic resin layer prior to positioning the thermoplastic resin layer on one of the number of layers of reinforcement material; wherein the thermoplastic resin layer is flowed into and infused with two layers of the number of layers; wherein the thermoplastic resin layer is placed onto the composite layer; wherein the number of layers of reinforcement material are placed over the thermoplastic resin layer; and wherein the composite layer, the thermoplastic resin layer, and the number of layers of reinforcement material are consolidated to form the composite structure.