Wing tip device attachment apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352127-B2
Application number	US-201916369075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 28, 2010
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

An aircraft wing subassembly including: a wing skin defining a first outer surface, and, a structural reinforcement member, the structural reinforcement member defining a second outer surface, wherein the structural reinforcement member is arranged within the wing such that the first outer surface and the second outer surface form part of an outer wing surface.

First claim

The invention is:

1. An aircraft wing subassembly comprising:
a first outer aerodynamic wing surface extending in chordwise and spanwise directions of the aircraft wing subassembly;
a second outer aerodynamic wing surface extending in the chordwise and spanwise directions of the aircraft wing subassembly, wherein the second outer aerodynamic wing surface overlaps the first outer aerodynamic wing surface and is opposite to the first outer aerodynamic wing surface along a first direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the chordwise and spanwise directions;
a wing skin forming a first portion of the first outer aerodynamic wing surface; defining a and,
a structural reinforcement member extending in the spanwise direction, and spanning, along the first direction perpendicular, between the first and second outer aerodynamic wing surface,
wherein the structural reinforcement member includes a first outer surface forming a second portion of the first outer aerodynamic wing surface.

2. The aircraft wing subassembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wing skin forms a second portion of the second aerodynamic wing surface, and
wherein the structural reinforcement member includes a second outer surface opposite to the first outer surface, and the second outer surface forms a second portion of the second outer aerodynamic wing surface.

3. The aircraft wing subassembly according to claim 1 , in which the wing skin tapers towards the first outer surface of the structural reinforcement member.

4. The aircraft wing subassembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a skin panel spanning between the first outer aerodynamic surface and the first outer surface of the structural reinforcement.

5. The aircraft wing subassembly according to claim 2 , in which the structural reinforcement is rectangular in cross section.

6. An aerodynamic wing structure for an aircraft comprising:
a first aerodynamic wing surface extending in chordwise and spanwise directions of the aerodynamic wing structure;
a second aerodynamic wing surface extending in the chordwise and spanwise directions, wherein the second outer aerodynamic wing surface is opposite the first aerodynamic wing surface along a first direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the chordwise and spanwise directions;
a first wing skin defining a first portion of the first aerodynamic wing surface;
a main beam extending in the spanwise direction and spanning between the first aerodynamic wing surface and the second aerodynamic wing surface; and
an outer surface of the main beam forming a second portion of the first aerodynamic wing surface.

7. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 6 , wherein the main beam includes a second outer surface opposite to the first outer surface, and the second outer surface forms a portion of the second aerodynamic wing surface.

8. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 7 , wherein the main beam includes sides spanning between the first-aerodynamic wing surface and the second aerodynamic wing surface.

9. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 8 , wherein a first side of the sides of the main beam is attached to a leading edge structure of the aerodynamic wing structure and a second side of the sides is attached to a trailing edge structure of the aerodynamic wing structure.

10. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 6 , wherein the main beam is hollow.

11. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 6 , wherein a thickness of the first wing skin tapers towards and overlaps the main beam to form a smooth transition surface between the first wing skin and the outer surface of the main beam.

12. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 6 , further:
comprising a fixed wing; and
a winglet attached to a wing tip region of the fixed wing,
wherein the main beam extends in the spanwise direction through a portion of the winglet and at least a portion of the wing tip region of the fixed wing.

13. The aerodynamic wing structure of claim 6 , wherein the outer surface of the main beam is adjacent an edge of the first wing skin.

14. A wing of an aircraft comprising:
a fixed wing including a wing tip region;
a winglet attached to the wing tip region, wherein the winglet includes a main beam extending spanwise from the winglet into the wing tip region;
the wing tip region includes:
a first aerodynamic wing surface and a second aerodynamic wing surface overlapping the first aerodynamic wing surface and is opposite to the first outer aerodynamic wing surface along a first direction perpendicular to a plane defined by chordwise and spanwise directions of the wing tip region; and
a first wing skin defining a first portion of the first aerodynamic wing surface;

wherein a distal end region of the main beam extends into the wing tip region,
wherein a first outer surface of the distal end region of the main beam forms a second portion of the first aerodynamic wing surface of the wing tip region, and
wherein the main beam spans, in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by a spanwise and chordwise directions of the wing tip region, the first aerodynamic wing surface and the second aerodynamic wing surface.

15. The wing of claim 14 , wherein the main beam is pivotatably attached to the wing tip region, and the winglet pivots between an unfolded position in which the outer surface of the main beam is aligned with and forms the second portion of the first aerodynamic wing surface, and a folded position in which the distal end region of the main beam extends out of the wing tip region and is not aligned with the first aerodynamic wing surface.

16. The wing of claim 14 , wherein the distal region of the main beam includes a second outer surface opposite to the first outer surface,
wherein the wing tip region includes a second wing skin defining a third portion of a second aerodynamic wing surface opposite to the first aerodynamic wing surface of the wing tip region, and
wherein second outer surface of the main beam forms a fourth portion of the second aerodynamic wing surface.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B64C3/56

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

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C23/072 Primary

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

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title