Patent Description:
Heated floor panels for aircraft generally comprise a heating element located between a structural base and a metallic skin. These floor panels may be susceptive to edge damage and/or separation of the metallic skin from the panel, particularly during installation and repair, when the floor panel may be accidentally dropped and/or hit against other objects. Some current heated floor panels include a filler material around the edge of the panel for protection; however, the filler material adds weight to the panel and may not be robust enough to withstand the harsh environment and handling to which the panels are subjected. <CIT> describes a heating device and method for manufacturing the same.

A heated floor panel is disclosed herein and defined in claim <NUM>.

A method of forming a heated floor panel is also disclosed herein and defined in claim <NUM>.

The foregoing features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.

A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures.

The detailed description of various embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical aerodynamic, thermodynamic, and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected, or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full, and/or any other possible attachment option.

Cross hatching and surface shading lines may be used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials. Throughout the present disclosure, like reference numbers denote like elements. Accordingly, elements with like element numbering may be shown in the figures, but may not necessarily be repeated herein for the sake of clarity.

With reference to <FIG>, an aircraft <NUM> having heated floor panels <NUM> is illustrated. Heated floor panels may be mounted throughout an interior <NUM> or aircraft <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, a heated floor panel <NUM> is illustrated. In accordance with various embodiments, heated floor panel <NUM> includes a base assembly <NUM>, one or more heating elements <NUM>, and a panel skin <NUM>. In accordance with various embodiments, heating elements <NUM> may be sandwiched (i.e., located between base assembly <NUM> and panel skin <NUM>). In various embodiments, base assembly <NUM> includes a bottom (or first) layer <NUM>, a top (or second) layer <NUM>, and a honeycomb layer <NUM> between bottom layer <NUM> and top layer <NUM>. Bottom and top layers <NUM>, <NUM> may structurally support heated floor panel <NUM>. In various embodiments, bottom and top layers <NUM>, <NUM> comprise a fiber reinforced composite material, such as, for example, a carbon reinforced polymer, a fiberglass reinforced polymer, or similar fiber reinforced composite material. Bottom and top layers <NUM>, <NUM> may also comprise plastic, ceramic, or any other desired material.

In various embodiments, heating elements <NUM> are located on a top surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. In various embodiments, heating elements <NUM> may be bonded to base assembly <NUM>. In various embodiments, heating elements <NUM> may be located in other locations of base assembly <NUM>, for example, between honeycomb layer <NUM> and top layer <NUM>. Top surface <NUM> may be formed by top layer <NUM>. Panel skin <NUM> is located over heating elements <NUM>. In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> is configured to extend over (i.e., cover) top surface <NUM> and sidewalls <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. Panel skin <NUM> may extend over sidewalls <NUM> to a bottom surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. Sidewalls <NUM> may extend from top surface <NUM> to bottom surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. Bottom surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM> is formed by bottom layer <NUM> and is opposite top surface <NUM>. Sidewalls <NUM> may be formed by bottom layer <NUM>, top layer <NUM>, and honeycomb layer <NUM>. In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> surrounds an outer perimeter of bottom layer <NUM>, top layer <NUM>, and honeycomb layer <NUM>.

Panel skin <NUM> may comprise metal, metal alloy, polymer, or composite material (e.g., a fiber reinforced composite). In various embodiments, panel skin may be formed of aramid fiber, such as that sold under the mark KEVLAR®. Panel skin <NUM> may protect base assembly <NUM> and heating elements <NUM>. In various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> may be configured to spread and/or distribute the heat generated by heating elements <NUM> across an upper (or first) surface <NUM> of heated floor panel <NUM>. Upper surface <NUM> of heated floor panel <NUM> is formed by panel skin <NUM>. Upper surface <NUM> of panel skin is opposite bottom surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. Panel skin <NUM> forms upper surface <NUM> and perimeter surfaces <NUM> of heated floor panel <NUM>. An underside (or second) surface <NUM> of heated floor panel is formed by panel skin <NUM> and bottom surface <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, assembly of heated floor panel <NUM> is illustrated. In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> is located over assembled base assembly <NUM> with heating elements <NUM> located thereon. In various embodiments, base assembly <NUM> may be cured (i.e., the bonding together of bottom layer <NUM>, a top layer <NUM>, and honeycomb layer <NUM> is performed) prior to locating panel skin <NUM> over base assembly <NUM>. Base assembly <NUM> may also be cured after to locating panel skin <NUM> over base assembly <NUM>.

In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> is pre-formed to a shape that complements the shape of base assembly <NUM>. For example, panel skin <NUM> may be formed by stamping, molding, casting, <NUM>-D printing, or other suitable method. In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> may be cured prior to locating panel skin <NUM> over base assembly <NUM>. Panel skin <NUM> is formed to include a cavity <NUM> configured to receive base assembly <NUM>. In this regard, cavity <NUM> includes a height, a width, a length, and a shape that matches the height, width, length, and shape of base assembly <NUM>. In accordance with various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> is configured to surround the sidewalls <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. In various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> comprises a unibody or monolithic structure. In this regard, the structures (e.g., walls, top surface, etc.) of panel skin <NUM> may be integral to one another rather than bonded together.

In various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> may be bonded to base assembly <NUM> using an adhesive, for example, using an epoxy resin, phenolic resin, vinyl acetate, acrylic pressure sensitive, or other suitable adhesive. In various embodiments, the adhesive may be in the form of a thermoset adhesive, such as, for example, a phenolic surface film. In various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> may be bonded directly to and/or located directly adjacent to the sidewalls <NUM> and outer perimeter of honeycomb layer <NUM> of base assembly <NUM>. In this regard, base assembly <NUM> may be free from fillers or other materials located around the outer perimeter of honeycomb layer <NUM>. Heating elements <NUM> may be bonded to base assembly <NUM> prior to attaching panel skin <NUM>. Stated differently, in various embodiments, panel skin <NUM> may be bonded to a base assembly <NUM> including heating elements <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, and continued reference to <FIG>, a method <NUM> of forming a heated floor panel is illustrated. Method <NUM> may include forming a panel skin (step <NUM>) and bonding the panel skin to a base assembly (step <NUM>). Step <NUM> may include forming panel skin <NUM> including cavity <NUM>. Step <NUM> may include locating base assembly <NUM> within cavity <NUM>. In various embodiments, step <NUM> may include forming panel skin <NUM> using at least one of stamping, <NUM>-D printing, or molding. In various embodiments, method <NUM> may include curing panel skin <NUM> prior to step <NUM>. In various embodiments, step <NUM> may include using an adhesive to bond the panel skin <NUM> to the base assembly <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, and continued reference to <FIG>, in various embodiments, method <NUM> includes forming the base assembly (step <NUM>). Step <NUM> may include bonding honeycomb layer <NUM> between top layer <NUM> and bottom layer <NUM>. In various embodiments, top layer <NUM> includes heating elements <NUM>. In various embodiments, step <NUM> may include attaching heating elements <NUM> to top layer <NUM>. In various embodiments, step <NUM> may include curing the base assembly <NUM> prior to step <NUM>. Base assembly <NUM> may also be cured after being located within cavity <NUM> (e.g., during step <NUM>). For example, in various embodiments, step <NUM> may include stacking honeycomb layer <NUM> between top layer <NUM> and bottom layer <NUM> and step <NUM> may include placing the uncured base assembly <NUM> into cavity <NUM> and heating the panel skin <NUM> with the uncured base assembly <NUM> located in cavity <NUM> to both cure the base assembly <NUM> and bond the panel skin <NUM> to the base assembly <NUM>.

In various embodiments, step <NUM> may include stacking top layer <NUM>, honeycomb layer <NUM>, and bottom layer <NUM> individually in cavity <NUM>. For example, in various embodiments, top layer <NUM>, including heating elements <NUM>, is first located in cavity <NUM>, then honeycomb layer <NUM> is placed in cavity <NUM> over top layer <NUM>, and then bottom layer <NUM> is placed in cavity <NUM> over honeycomb layer <NUM>. After top layer <NUM>, honeycomb layer <NUM>, and bottom layer <NUM> are located within cavity <NUM>, the panel skin <NUM> and the base assembly <NUM> are heated to cure base assembly <NUM> and bond base assembly <NUM> to panel skin <NUM>. In this regard, in various embodiments, step <NUM> may include simultaneously, or near simultaneously, curing the base assembly <NUM> and bonding the base assembly <NUM> to the panel skin <NUM>.

Bonding pre-formed panel skin <NUM> to base assembly <NUM> may decrease the number of steps associated with forming heated floor panel <NUM>, which tends to reduce manufacturing time and cost. Locating panel skin <NUM> around the sidewalls <NUM> of base assembly <NUM> may eliminate the need for fillers or other materials around the edges of base assembly <NUM>. Eliminating fillers may reduce a weight of heated floor panel <NUM>.

Moreover, where a phrase similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

In the detailed description herein, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "various embodiments", etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

Claim 1:
A heated floor panel, comprising:
a base assembly (<NUM>) including a top layer, a bottom layer, and a honeycomb layer located between the top layer and the bottom layer;
a heating element located on a first surface of the base assembly; and
a panel skin (<NUM>) located over the heating element and the first surface of the base assembly, wherein the panel skin (<NUM>) extends from the first surface of the base assembly to a second surface of the base assembly, the second surface of the base assembly being opposite the first surface of the base assembly and characterized in that the panel skin forms an upper surface (<NUM>) and perimeter surfaces (<NUM>) of the heated floor panel, and wherein an underside surface of the heated floor panel is formed by the panel skin and the second surface of the base assembly;. wherein the panel skin surrounds an outer perimeter of the honeycomb layer, and wherein the panel skin is directly adjacent to the outer perimeter of the honeycomb layer.