Ablative and insulative structures

Claim 2

An ablative structure comprising a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material each having opposite edges and bonded together and extending in aligned sideby-side relation along substantially similar paths wherein the opposite edges respectively define a first surface of said structure and an opposite surface of said structure, the opposite edges of each panel being transversely displaced with respect to each other in said structure, certain of said panels defining a plurality of spaced apertures out of communication with said first and said opposite surfaces and extending substantially normal to said paths.

Claim 3

An ablative structure comprising a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material each panel having opposite edges and bonded together to form a wall of given thickness and having opposing surfaces defined by the respective opposite panel edges, the individual panels extending from one surface at least part way to the other along paths slanted relative to said surfaces and being transversely displaced along said surfaces, certain of said panels defining interior apertures extending along said structure.

Claim 4

An ablative structure comprising a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material each panel having opposite edges and bonded together to form a wall of given thickness and having opposing surfaces defined by the respective opposite panel edges, the individual panels extending from one surface at least part way to the other along paths slanted relative to said surfaces and being transversely displaced along said surfaces, certain of said panels defining interior apertures extending along said structure.

Claim 5

An ablative structure comprising a plurality of thin, elongated resin impregnated fabric panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together and extending in side-by-side relation along similarly angled curved paths, each panel having opposite edges which collectively define a first surface of said structure and an opposite surface of said structure, certain of said panels cooperating to define a plurality of essentially uniformly spaced apertures out of communication with said first surface, said opposite surface and each other extending along said panels substantially normal to said curved paths.

Claim 6

An ablative structure comprising a plurality of thin, elongated resin impregnated fabric panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together and extending in side-by-side relation along similarly angled curved paths, each panel having opposite edges which collectively define a first surface of said structure and an opposite surface of said structure, certain of said panels cooperating to define a plurality of essentially uniformly spaced apertures out of communication with said first surface, said opposite surface and each other extending along said panels substantially normal to said curved paths.

Claim 7

An Ablative structure comprising a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material bonded together and extending in side-by-side relation along substantially like paths relative to interior and exterior surfaces of the structure and wherein each panel has opposite edges collectively defining an interior and exterior structure surface, the successive panel edges being overlaid along a selected direction on the surfaces, and the paths being angled relative to the surfaces such that long heat conductive paths exist along the panels relative to the thickness of the structure, the panels being disposed to define interior apertures out of communication with the interior and exterior surfaces and lying along axes substantially normal to the selected direction.

Claim 8

An Ablative structure comprising a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material bonded together and extending in side-by-side relation along substantially like paths relative to interior and exterior surfaces of the structure and wherein each panel has opposite edges collectively defining an interior and exterior structure surface, the successive panel edges being overlaid along a selected direction on the surfaces, and the paths being angled relative to the surfaces such that long heat conductive paths exist along the panels relative to the thickness of the structure, the panels being disposed to define interior apertures out of communication with the interior and exterior surfaces and lying along axes substantially normal to the selected direction.

Claim 9

An ablative structure for exposure to high temperature, high velocity gases comprising a body of revolution having an inner exposed surface and an outer surface and comprising at least two circumferential wall segments, each formed of a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material circumferentially overlapped about the circumference of the wall segment and permanently bonded together, each panel being disposed along an arc length extending from the inner radius of the wall segment to the outer radius of the wall segment and each panel having a geometrical configuration such that an interior edge thereof extends along the length of the wall segment and defines a portion of the inner exposed surface and an exterior edge thereof extends along the length of the wall segment and defines a portion of the outer surface, certain of the panels within each wall segment defining a plurality of substantially like spaced apertures out of communication with each other and with the inner exposed surface of said walled body and the opposite outer surface of said walled body, and extending along said arc lengths, the angles of the arc lengths relative to the circumference of the wall segment being alike for all panels of the wall segment throughout substantially the length thereof, and relatively low so that long arc lengths are provided in relation to the radial thickness of the wall segments, the wall segments being disposed with adjacent and substantially matching surfaces and the panels between adjacent wall segments being interleaved and permanently bonded to each other, whereby a smooth walled integral ablative body is provided.

Claim 10

An ablative structure for exposure to high temperature, high velocity gases comprising a body of revolution having an inner exposed surface and an outer surface and comprising at least two circumferential wall segments, each formed of a plurality of panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material circumferentially overlapped about the circumference of the wall segment and permanently bonded together, each panel being disposed along an arc length extending from the inner radius of the wall segment to the outer radius of the wall segment and each panel having a geometrical configuration such that an interior edge thereof extends along the length of the wall segment and defines a portion of the inner exposed surface and an exterior edge thereof extends along the length of the wall segment and defines a portion of the outer surface, certain of the panels within each wall segment defining a plurality of substantially like spaced apertures out of communication with each other and with the inner exposed surface of said walled body and the opposite outer surface of said walled body, and extending along said arc lengths, the angles of the arc lengths relative to the circumference of the wall segment being alike for all panels of the wall segment throughout substantially the length thereof, and relatively low so that long arc lengths are provided in relation to the radial thickness of the wall segments, the wall segments being disposed with adjacent and substantially matching surfaces and the panels between adjacent wall segments being interleaved and permanently bonded to each other, whereby a smooth walled integral ablative body is provided.

Claim 11

The ablative structure of claim 5 wherein the panels of said body comprise at least two different types of fabric, wherein a plurality of panels of each given type are bonded together to provide layers of the given types wherein the panels of each layer are distorted relative to the nominal arc lengths to define the interior apertures, the apertures defining aperture axes extending along the length of the structure and being elongated flutings separated by substantial walls formed by the distorted panels.

Claim 12

An ablative structure comprising a body of revolution disposed about a longitudinal axis, said body comprising a plurality of resin impregnated panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together, each panel having opposite edges which collectively define an interior and exterior surface of said body respectively, each panel forming a partial arc within the body and extending along an arc length from interior radial limits, adjacent panels overlapping with a substantial interlaminer shear area along the arc length, certain of said panels being disposed to define a plurality of spaced apertures out of communication with the interior and opposite exterior surfaces of the body of revolution and each other and extending substantially normal to the arc lengths, the panel edges along the interior and exterior surfaces of the body of revolution being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

Claim 13

An ablative structure comprising a body of revolution disposed about a longitudinal axis, said body comprising a plurality of resin impregnated panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together, each panel having opposite edges which collectively define an interior and exterior surface of said body respectively, each panel forming a partial arc within the body and extending along an arc length from interior radial limits, adjacent panels overlapping with a substantial interlaminer shear area along the arc length, certain of said panels being disposed to define a plurality of spaced apertures out of communication with the interior and opposite exterior surfaces of the body of revolution and each other and extending substantially normal to the arc lengths, the panel edges along the interior and exterior surfaces of the body of revolution being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

Claim 14

An ablative structure as set forth in claim 7 wherein said body of revolution is formed of at least two discrete Wall segments of different materials, panels of which are interleaved and permanently bonded together in a transition zone, the panels being disposed to define the interior apertures through the entire length of the structure.

Claim 15

An ablative structure comprising an interior surface of revolution defining a central aperture and having an exterior surface, said structure comprising a plurality of resin impregnated individual panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together in fixed relation and wherein each panel has opposite edges which define a portion of said interior and exterior surfaces respectively, said panels being aligned in generally side-by-side relation and lying lengthwise relative to the central aperture and in a partial arc about the central aperture, certain of said panels being separated along an interior portion of the arc length to define a plurality of substantially like spaced apertures out of communication with each other, the central aperture, and the exterior surface of said structure, said spaced apertures lying substantially normal to said individual panels along the entire length of the surface of revolution and the adjacent panels along the edges of the apertures being joined to form solid inner and outer thicknesses of material for the structure, such that the structure provides greater thermal capacity for a given weight of material.

Claim 16

An ablative structure comprising an interior surface of revolution defining a central aperture and having an exterior surface, said structure comprising a plurality of resin impregnated individual panels of high temperature and ablation resistance material permanently bonded together in fixed relation and wherein each panel has opposite edges which define a portion of said interior and exterior surfaces respectively, said panels being aligned in generally side-by-side relation and lying lengthwise relative to the central aperture and in a partial arc about the central aperture, certain of said panels being separated along an interior portion of the arc length to define a plurality of substantially like spaced apertures out of communication with each other, the central aperture, and the exterior surface of said structure, said spaced apertures lying substantially normal to said individual panels along the entire length of the surface of revolution and the adjacent panels along the edges of the apertures being joined to form solid inner and outer thicknesses of material for the structure, such that the structure provides greater thermal capacity for a given weight of material.

Claim 17

The invention as set forth in claim 9 above, wherein the apertures are established by groups of filler panels spaced apart along the arc lengths.

Claim 18

The invention as set forth in claim 9 above, wherein the apertures are substantially filled with lightweight heat insulative foam material.