Aircraft assembly including a wing tip device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260964-B2
Application number	US-201816161371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

An aircraft assembly is disclosed having a wing tip device connected to a wing tip of a wing by a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector. The wing tip device includes a front device spar and a rear device spar. The first connector is associated with the rear device spar. The second connector is spaced apart in a chordwise direction forward of the first connector, and the third connector is spaced apart in a chordwise direction rearward of the first connector. The third connector includes a spigot mounting formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft assembly, comprising:
a wing tip device connected to a wing tip by a first connector, a second connector and a third connector, the wing tip device comprising a front device spar and a rear device spar, wherein:
the first connector is associated with the rear device spar,
the second connector is spaced apart, in a chordwise direction, forward of the first connector,
the third connector is spaced apart, in a chordwise direction, rearward of the first connector,
the third connector comprises a spigot mounting formation,
wherein when assembled, the wing tip and the wing tip device together define a spanwise axis, and the third connector spigot mounting formation comprises a third spigot and a third spigot retainer, wherein an elongate axis of the third spigot is at an offset angle to the spanwise axis at the juncture of the wing tip and the wing tip device.

2. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second connector is associated with the front device spar.

3. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wing tip comprises a wing trailing edge, and the wing tip device comprises a device trailing edge and the third connector is configured to connect the device trailing edge with the wing trailing edge.

4. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wing tip device comprises a closing rib located at least aft of the rear device spar, wherein the spigot mounting formation is associated with the closing rib.

5. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wing tip comprises a forward wing spar and a rearward wing spar, wherein the first connector is associated with the rearward wing spar.

6. The aircraft assembly of claim 5 , wherein the wing tip comprises a trailing edge end rib located at least aft of rearward wing spar, wherein the spigot mounting formation is associated with the trailing edge end rib.

7. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spigot mounting formation comprises a spigot associated with the wing tip device or the wing tip, and a spigot retainer associated with the other of the wing tip device or the wing tip for receiving the spigot in a male/female connection.

8. The aircraft assembly of claim 7 , wherein the spigot retainer comprises an elongate retainer slot extending in the chordwise direction.

9. The aircraft assembly of claim 8 , wherein a height of the retainer slot is configured to substantially conform with a diameter of the spigot in a direction perpendicular to the chordwise direction.

10. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a first spigot mounting formation, and the second connector comprises a second spigot mounting formation, wherein the spigot mounting formation is a third spigot mounting formation.

11. The aircraft assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first spigot mounting formation comprises a first spigot associated with the wing tip device or the wing tip, and a first spigot retainer associated with the other of the wing tip device or the wing tip; the second spigot mounting formation comprises a second spigot associated with the wing tip device or the wing tip, and a second spigot retainer associated with the other of the wing tip device or the wing tip; and wherein the third spigot mounting formation comprises a third spigot and a third spigot retainer.

12. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , in which, when the wing tip device is brought into engagement with the wing tip, the first connector is configured to move into an engaged condition prior to the second connector moving into an engaged condition.

13. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , in which, when the wing tip device is brought into engagement with the wing tip, the second connector is configured to move into an engaged condition prior to the third connector moving into an engaged condition.

14. The aircraft assembly of claim 11 , in which the first spigot retainer comprises a first retainer hole and wherein the dimensions of the first retainer hole are configured to substantially conform with a diameter of the first spigot in both directions parallel to and perpendicular to the chordwise direction.

15. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wing tip comprises a wing skin, and the wing tip device comprises a wing tip device skin, and the aircraft assembly comprises a butt-strap between the wing skin
and the wing tip device skin.

16. The aircraft assembly of claim 15 , wherein the or each butt-strap is disposed only at or forward of the first connector.

17. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wing tip device comprises an upper device cover and a lower device cover, and
the wing tip comprises a wing upper cover and a wing lower cover, wherein
the upper device cover is fixed to the wing upper cover by an upper butt-strap or an upper splice plate fixedly mounted between the upper device cover and the wing upper cover, and the lower device cover is fixed to the wing lower cover.

18. The aircraft assembly of claim 8 , wherein the retainer slot has a length extending in the chordwise direction, and the length of the retainer slot is greater than a diameter of the spigot such that the spigot is unable to react to a side force in the chordwise direction within limits of the length of the retainer slot.

19. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third connector spigot mounting formation constrains movement of the wing tip device aft of the rear device spar, such that relative flexing between the wing towards the trailing edge of the wing is restricted.

20. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third connector spigot mounting formation aids rigidity of the wing tip device in a thickness direction.

21. The aircraft assembly of claim 17 , wherein the lower device cover is fixed to the wing lower cover by a lower butt-strap or a lower splice plate fixedly mounted between the lower device cover and the wing lower cover.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Steadman Clive
• Liversage David
• Smith Ben
• Pullan Ruth

Classifications

• B64C3/10 Primary

  Shape of wings · CPC title

• B64C2003/146

  comprising leading edges of particular shape · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C23/069 Primary

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

• B64C3/187 Primary

  Ribs · CPC title