Wing tip device attachment apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279895-B2
Application number	US-201615295262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2010
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A wing tip device for attachment to a wing tip of a powered aircraft including: a first mounting formation, a second mounting formation spaced apart in a spanwise direction relative to the first mounting formation, a third mounting formation spaced apart in a chordwise direction relative to the first and second mounting formations, wherein each of the first, second and third mounting formations are configured for attachment to at least one of a wing spar and a wing rib, and, at least one of the mounting formations is configured to permit movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing tip device for attachment to a wing tip of a powered aircraft, the wing tip device comprising:
a first mounting formation,
a second mounting formation spaced apart in a spanwise direction relative to the first mounting formation,
a third mounting formation spaced apart in a chordwise direction relative to the first and second mounting formations,
wherein each of the first, second and third mounting formations are configured for attachment to at least one of a wing spar and a wing rib, and,
at least one of the mounting formations is configured to permit movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

2. The wing tip device according to claim 1 wherein the wing tip device comprises a first load-bearing structure that extends from the wing tip device into the wing tip and the first load-bearing structure comprises the first mounting formation.

3. The wing tip device according to claim 2 wherein the first load-bearing structure comprises the second mounting formation.

4. The wing tip device according to claim 2 wherein the first load-bearing structure comprises a beam.

5. The wing tip device according to claim 1 wherein the wing tip device comprises a second load-bearing structure that comprises the third mounting formation.

6. The wing tip device according to claim 5 wherein the second load-bearing structure comprises a beam.

7. The wing tip device according to claim 1 , in which the first and second mounting formations are aligned in a spanwise direction.

8. The wing tip device according to claim 1 in which the first and third mounting formations are aligned in a chordwise direction.

9. The wing tip device according to claim 6 , in which the first and third mounting formations comprise a pivotable joint.

10. A wing assembly for a powered aircraft, the wing assembly comprising a wing and a wing tip device attached to a tip of the wing, wherein the wing tip device comprises:
a first mounting formation,
a second mounting formation spaced apart in a spanwise direction relative to the first mounting formation,
a third mounting formation spaced apart in a chordwise direction relative to the first and second mounting formations,
wherein each of the first, second and third mounting formations is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing, and,
at least one of the mounting formations permits movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

11. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the wing tip device comprises a first load-bearing structure that extends from the wing tip device into the wing tip and the first load-bearing structure comprises the first mounting formation.

12. The wing assembly according to claim 11 wherein the first load-bearing structure comprises the second mounting formation.

13. The wing assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the first load-bearing structure comprises a beam.

14. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the wing tip device comprises a second load-bearing structure that comprises the third mounting formation.

15. The wing assembly according to claim 14 wherein the second load-bearing structure comprises a beam.

16. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the second mounting formation permits movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

17. The wing assembly according to claim 16 wherein the first mounting formation is proximal the tip of the wing and the second mounting formation is distal to the tip of the wing.

18. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the first, second and third mounting formations is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is retained in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

19. The wing assembly according to claim 18 wherein at least one of the first, second and third mounting formations is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is substantially fixed in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

20. The wing assembly according to claim 18 wherein the third mounting formation is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is retained in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

21. The wing assembly according to claim 20 wherein the third mounting formation is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is substantially fixed in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

22. The wing assembly according to claim 20 wherein the third mounting formation is provided proximal the leading edge of wing tip and the first mounting formation is provided distal to the leading edge of the wing tip.

23. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the first, second and third mounting formations is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is retained in the vertical direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

24. The wing assembly according to claim 23 wherein at least one of the first, second and third mounting formations is attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is substantially fixed in the vertical direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

25. The wing assembly according to claim 23 wherein the first and third formations are each attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is retained in the vertical direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

26. The wing assembly according to claim 25 wherein the first and third formations are each attached to at least one of a spar of the wing and a rib of the wing such that a portion of the wing tip device is substantially fixed in the vertical direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

27. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the first attachment formation is attached to a first spar of the wing, the second attachment formation is attached to a rib of the wing and the third attachment formation is attached to a second spar of the wing that is spaced, in the chord-wise direction, from the first spar of the wing.

28. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the wing comprises first, second and third complimentary mounting formations and the first, second and third mounting formations of the wing tip device cooperate with the first, second and third complimentary mounting formations of the wing to form first, second and third attachments respectively, wherein at least one of the attachments permits movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

29. The wing assembly according to claim 10 wherein each of the first, second and third formations comprises a protrusion or defines a space for receiving a protrusion.

30. The wing assembly according

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Chaussee Julien
• Paumes Camille
• Wijker Norman
• Alexander Stuart

Classifications

• B64C23/072 Primary

  the wing tip airfoil devices being moveable in their entirety · CPC title

• Y02T50/164

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C3/56

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title