Shear connection for connecting airframe parts in an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420719-B2
Application number	US-201916263877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A shear connection for interchangeably connecting two airframe parts of an aircraft. The shear connection may include first and second interface parts. The second interface part may overlap in the longitudinal direction at an overlap section with at least one of the first interface part and the first airframe part. The shear connection may further comprise means that rigidly and non-interchangeably attach the first interface part to the first airframe part and the second interface part to the second airframe part and a shear bolt that rigidly and interchangeably connects the second interface part with the at least one of the first interface part and the first airframe part at the overlap section, thereby interchangeably connecting the first and second airframe parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helicopter with a fuselage and a tail boom comprising a tail boom cone that is connected to a rear fuselage defined by the fuselage, the helicopter comprising:
a first airframe part that is constituted by one of the rear fuselage or the tail boom cone and has a longitudinal extension direction, an inside surface, and an outside surface;
a second airframe part that is constituted by the other one of the rear fuselage or the tail boom cone and has an inside surface and an outside surface; and
a shear connection, comprising:
a first interface part;
a second interface part that overlaps in the longitudinal extension direction at an overlap section with at least one of the first interface part and the first airframe part;
means that rigidly and non-interchangeably attach the first interface part to only the inside surface of the first airframe part and the second interface part to only one of the inside surface and the outside surface of the second airframe part; and
a shear bolt that rigidly and interchangeably connects the second interface part with the at least one of the first interface part and the first airframe part at the overlap section, thereby interchangeably connecting the first and second airframe parts.

2. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the means that rigidly and non-interchangeably attach the first interface part to only the inside surface of the first airframe part and the second interface part to only one of the inside surface and the outside surface of the second airframe part comprise at least one of a bonding material, a welding material, a rivet, or a screw.

3. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the first and second airframe parts are non-overlapping with the overlap section.

4. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the first airframe part at least partially overlaps the second interface part at the overlap section.

5. The helicopter of claim 4 , wherein the second airframe part at least partially overlaps the first airframe part at the overlap section.

6. The helicopter of claim 5 , wherein the shear bolt rigidly and interchangeably connects the second interface part with the first and second airframe parts.

7. The helicopter of claim 4 , wherein the shear bolt rigidly and interchangeably connects the first and second interface parts with the first airframe part.

8. The helicopter of claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second interface parts comprises a shear joint.

9. The helicopter of claim 5 , wherein the shear connection further comprises:
a web integrated into at least one of the first and second interface parts.

10. The helicopter of claim 9 , wherein the web is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction.

11. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the first airframe part is slotted and overlaps the second interface part in the longitudinal direction at the overlap section on both sides.

12. The helicopter of claim 11 , wherein the second airframe part is slotted and overlaps the second interface part in the longitudinal direction.

13. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the shear connection further comprises:
a plurality of pilot holes for the means that rigidly and non-interchangeably attach the first interface part to the first airframe part and the second interface part to the second airframe part in the first and second airframe parts to secure a precise fit at the shear connection.

14. The helicopter of claim 1 , wherein the first and second airframe parts have a plurality of load carrying, stiffened corners and wherein the shear connection is placed in each of the plurality of load carrying, stiffened corners to form a plurality of discrete load paths between the first and second airframe parts.

15. A helicopter with a fuselage and a tail boom comprising a tail boom cone connected to a rear fuselage defined by the fuselage, the helicopter comprising:
a first airframe part constituting one of the rear fuselage and the tail boom cone, the first airframe part having a longitudinal extension direction, an inside surface, and an outside surface;
a second airframe part constituting the other one of the rear fuselage and the tail boom cone, the second airframe part having an inside surface and an outside surface; and
a shear connection comprising:
a first interface part;
a second interface part overlaping in the longitudinal extension direction at an overlap section with the first interface part or the first airframe part;
means rigidly and non-interchangeably attaching the first interface part to only the inside surface of the first airframe part and the second interface part to only one of the inside surface and the outside surface of the second airframe part; and
a shear bolt rigidly and interchangeably connecting the second interface part with the first interface part or the first airframe part at the overlap section, thereby interchangeably connecting the first and second airframe parts.

16. The helicopter of claim 15 , wherein the first and second airframe parts are non-overlapping with the overlap section.

17. The helicopter of claim 15 , wherein the first airframe part at least partially overlaps the second interface part at the overlap section.

18. The helicopter of claim 17 , wherein the second airframe part at least partially overlaps the first airframe part at the overlap section.

19. A helicopter comprising:
a fuselage having a rear fuselage;
a tail boom having a tail boom cone connected to the rear fuselage;
a first airframe component constituting one of the rear fuselage or the tail boom cone and having a longitudinal extension direction, an inside surface, and an outside surface;
a second airframe component constituting the other one of the rear fuselage and the tail boom cone and having an inside surface and an outside surface; and
a shear connection comprising:
a first interface component;
a second interface component overlaping in the longitudinal extension direction at an overlap section with at least one of the first interface component and the first airframe component, the first interface component rigidly and non-interchangeably attached to only the inside surface of the first airframe component, the second interface component rigidly and non-interchangeably attached to only one of the inside surface and the outside surface of the second airframe component; and
a shear bolt rigidly and interchangeably connecting the second interface component with the at least one of the first interface component and the first airframe component at the overlap section, thereby interchangeably connecting the first and second airframe components.

20. The helicopter of claim 19 , wherein the first and second airframe parts are non-overlapping with the overlap section.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Rack Andreas
• Joachim Thomas
• Pfaller Rupert

Classifications

• F16B7/182

  for coaxial connections of two rods or tubes · CPC title

• B64C27/82

  characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft · CPC title

• B64C1/12

  Construction or attachment of skin panels · CPC title

• B32B3/06

  for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support {, or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking} · CPC title

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title