US 12,269,607 B2
Collapsible fuel cells for aircraft
David Allen Pettey, Portsmouth, RI (US)
Assigned to Response Technologies, LLC, Coventry, RI (US)
Filed by Response Technologies, LLC, Coventry, RI (US)
Filed on Apr. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/131,771.
Prior Publication US 2024/0336368 A1, Oct. 10, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 37/06 (2006.01); B64D 37/04 (2006.01); H01M 8/00 (2016.01)
CPC B64D 37/06 (2013.01) [B64D 37/04 (2013.01); H01M 8/002 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A collapsible fuel cell for an aircraft, the fuel cell comprising:
an inner textile support substrate having an outer surface including one or more textile crease lines forming a fold pattern; and
an outer shell layer conforming to the outer surface of the textile support substrate to form the fuel cell, the shell layer including one or more shell crease lines adjacent to the one or more textile crease lines to reinforce the fold pattern, the fuel cell collapsible along the fold pattern formed by the one or more textile crease lines;
wherein, the shell layer comprises a first chemical composition at the one or more shell crease lines and a second chemical composition at uncreased regions of the shell layer, the first chemical composition different from the second chemical composition; and
wherein, the shell layer has a first thickness at the one or more shell crease lines and a second thickness at the uncreased regions of the shell layer, the second thickness greater than the first thickness.