A process for manufacturing an acoustic panel including at least one acoustically resistive layer, at least one cellular structure and a reflective wall. The process includes steps of depositing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, depositing a film made of thermoplastic resin that is miscible with the thermosetting composite at the polymerization temperature of the thermosetting composite, polymerizing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, and depositing and consolidating at least one layer made of thermoplastic composite against the film made of thermoplastic resin in order to form the reflective wall.

Disclosed embodiments relate to trays typically comprising a composite internal structure, a thermoplastic frame typically located about the composite internal structure, and two cover sheets forming the upper and lower tray surfaces. The composite internal structure may be a corrugated composite structure in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the composite internal structure may comprise a series of composite elements (which might act a beams or struts). The cover sheets may comprise thermoplastic material, and in some embodiments, the cover sheets may comprise composite material (for example the same as for the corrugated composite structure). In some exemplary embodiments, the thermoplastic frame and the composite internal structure may have the same thermoplastic material, and they may be joined together to have a plurality of homogeneous connective attachments.

A method of constructing a building comprising the steps of attaching a first panel to a second panel. The first panel is one of a single plenum panel and a multi-plenum panel and the second panel is one of a single plenum panel and a multi-plenum panel.

A composite truss structure may have a first facesheet, a second facesheet, and a plurality of truss elements joined with the first facesheet and the second facesheet at nodes to form a one-piece structure. The composite truss structure may be formed by a method comprising preparing a dry fabric mold by: 1) placing a first dry fabric layer on a tool, 2) placing a first layer of fabric-loaded mandrels on the first dry fabric layer, 3) placing a second layer of the fabric-loaded mandrels on the first layer of fabric-loaded mandrels, and 4) placing a second dry fabric layer over the fabric-loaded mandrels. The method may further comprise infusing the dry fabric mold with a resin, and curing the resin to provide the nonflexible composite truss structure.

A thermoplastic homogenous tray table assembly includes a top cover and a bottom cover. An injection molded thermoplastic composite reinforced frame assembly with a plurality of compliant press-fit device receptacle apertures is homogenously chemically bonded to the top cover, and a similar frame is formed for the bottom cover. The cover frame assemblies includes a plurality of integral precision recessed alignment features, mate-able to extended precision alignment features of the opposing cover frame assembly. A thermoplastic homogeneous bottom cover is joined, via press fitting, to the top cover utilizing a plurality of compliant press-fit assembly device members.

A single plenum structural panel comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet. The top sheet and the bottom sheet being parallel to one another. A plurality of spacing structural elements fixedly attach the top sheet to the bottom sheet, such that a yield strength of an assembled single plenum structural panel is greater than a sum of individual yield strengths of the top sheet and the bottom sheet. A plenum is defined by a spacing between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. The plurality of spacing structural elements are formed such that a first plurality of spaced apart unobstructed pathways are created in the plenum for air to move in a first direction from at least one edge of the single plenum structural panel to at least one of an opposite and an adjacent edge of the single plenum structural panel.

A process for manufacturing an acoustic panel including at least one acoustically resistive layer, at least one cellular structure and a reflective wall. The process includes steps of depositing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, depositing a film made of thermoplastic resin that is miscible with the thermosetting composite at the polymerization temperature of the thermosetting composite, polymerizing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, and depositing and consolidating at least one layer made of thermoplastic composite against the film made of thermoplastic resin in order to form the reflective wall.

A cup-forming machine includes having a male mandrel and a female receiver. The male mandrel uses a cup body blank and a floor blank to form a body of a cup. The female receive receives the body and forms a rolled brim on the body to establish a cup.

A single plenum structural panel comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet. The top sheet and the bottom sheet being parallel to one another. A plurality of spacing structural elements fixedly attach the top sheet to the bottom sheet, such that a yield strength of an assembled single plenum structural panel is greater than a sum of individual yield strengths of the top sheet and the bottom sheet. A plenum is defined by a spacing between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. The plurality of spacing structural elements are formed such that a first plurality of spaced apart unobstructed pathways are created in the plenum for air to move in a first direction from at least one edge of the single plenum structural panel to at least one of an opposite and an adjacent edge of the single plenum structural panel.

A multi-plenum structural panel comprising a top sheet, a middle sheet, and a bottom sheet, each sheet being parallel to the other two. A first plurality of spacing structural elements, fixedly attaching the top sheet to the middle sheet, and a second plurality of spacing structural elements fixedly attaching the middle sheet to the bottom sheet, such that a yield strength of an assembled multi-plenum structural panel is greater than a sum of individual sheet yield strengths. An upper plenum is defined by a first spacing between the top and middle sheets. A lower plenum is defined by a second spacing between the middle and bottom sheets. The first plurality of spacing structural elements is formed such that a first plurality of spaced apart unobstructed pathways are created in the upper plenum for air to move in a first direction from at least one edge of the multi-plenum structural panel to at least one of an opposite and an adjacent edge of the multi-plenum structural panel in each plenum. The second plurality of spacing structural elements is formed such that a second plurality of spaced apart unobstructed pathways are created in the lower plenum for air to move in a second direction from at least one edge of the multi-plenum structural panel to at least one of an opposite and an adjacent edge of the multi-plenum structural panel in each plenum, where the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.