Winglet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029779-B2
Application number	US-201414785114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2014
Priority date	Apr 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A winglet comprising a tubular main spar with forward and aft main spar webs joined by upper and lower main spar caps; a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap; an upper skin joined to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and a lower skin joined to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap. The winglet is manufactured by co-curing the upper skin to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and co-curing the lower skin to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A winglet, comprising:
a tubular main spar with forward and aft main spar webs joined by upper and lower main spar caps;
a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap;
an upper skin joined to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and a lower skin joined to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap,
wherein the main spar has a tapered portion in which a height of the main spar reduces and a fore-and-aft width of the main spar increases as the tapered portion extends toward a tip of the main spar, and
wherein the front spar is C-shaped with the upper and lower front spar caps terminating at forward edges.

2. The winglet of claim 1 wherein the upper front spar cap extends forwards away from the main spar, and the lower front spar cap extends forwards away from the main spar.

3. The winglet of claim 1 wherein the main spar has a centre line which extends lengthwise from a root of the winglet to a tip of the winglet, and at least part of the centre line follows a curved path.

4. The winglet of claim 3 wherein the curved path does not lie in a single plane so that a cant angle and a sweep angle of the main spar both change continuously along the curved path.

5. The winglet of claim 1 wherein the main spar comprises a plurality of tubular plies of braided fibres impregnated with a matrix.

6. The winglet of claim 1 wherein the upper skin is bonded to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and the lower skin is bonded to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap.

7. The winglet of claim 1 further comprising a leading edge skin joined to the upper and lower front spar caps.

8. The winglet of claim 1 wherein a leading edge skin is bonded to the upper and lower front spar caps.

9. An aircraft wing comprising a main wing element with a tip; and a winglet according to claim 1 attached to the tip of the main wing element.

10. The wing of claim 9 wherein the main wing element comprises a rear spar which is attached to the tubular main spar of the winglet; and a front spar which is attached to the front spar of the winglet.

11. The wing of claim 10 wherein the tubular main spar of the winglet is canted up or down relative to the rear spar of the main wing element.

12. The wing of claim 10 wherein the tubular main spar of the winglet is swept forward or aft relative to the rear spar of the main wing element.

13. The wing of claim 10 wherein the spars of the winglet have inboard portions which overlap with, and are attached to, the spars of the main wing element by fasteners.

14. A method of manufacturing the winglet of claim 1 , the method comprising co-curing the upper skin to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and co-curing the lower skin to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising during the co-curing:
compacting the webs and caps of the main spar against a first tool inside the main spar;
compacting the upper skin, the lower skin, the forward main spar web, and the front spar web against a second tool between the main spar and the front spar; and
compacting the front spar web and the upper and lower front spar caps against a third tool in front of the front spar web.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the front spar is tubular with forward and aft front spar webs joined by the upper and lower front spar caps, and the method further comprises during the co-curing compacting both webs and both caps of the front spar against the third tool which is inside the tubular front spar; and compacting a leading edge skin and the forward web of the front spar against a fourth tool in front of the tubular front spar.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
providing a tubular front spar with forward and aft front spar webs joined by the upper and lower front spar caps, and the method further comprises during the co-curing compacting both webs and both caps of the front spar against the third tool which is inside the tubular front spar; and
after the co-curing cutting away the forward front spar web from the aft front spar web and removing the forward front spar web along with the third tool, to form the C-shaped front spar; and
joining the leading edge skin to the upper and lower front spar caps with fasteners.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising removing the tools after the co-curing.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising joining a leading edge skin to the upper and lower front spar caps.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the leading edge skin is co-cured to the upper and lower front spar caps.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Fong Tony
• Axford Timothy
• Chaussee Julien

Classifications

• B29C70/222

  the structure being shaped to form a three dimensional configuration · CPC title

• B32B2305/72

  Cured, e.g. vulcanised, cross-linked · CPC title

• B64C23/069

  using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips · CPC title

• B32B38/1866

  conforming the layers or laminate to a convex or concave profile · CPC title

• B64F5/10

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title