Patent ID: 8398021
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: B64C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An energy absorbing skin for an aircraft, the energy absorbing skin comprising: a malleable panel that is configured to deform in response to a predetermined threshold amount of impact energy caused by a foreign object strike so as to absorb at least a portion of the impact energy, the energy absorbing skin being void of any rigid non-deformable frame members inward of edges of said malleable panel; said malleable panel is a monolithic one-piece material and further comprises a relatively thicker reinforcing feature including a first reinforcing feature extending along edges of the malleable panel and a second reinforcing feature extending transverse to the malleable panel, the reinforcing feature being stiffer than the malleable panel, and the malleable panel and the reinforcing feature configured so that both the malleable panel and the reinforcing feature deform in response to the predetermined threshold amount of impact energy.