Skin panel of composite material having an internal grid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511847-B2
Application number	US-201715471422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A skin panel configured for attachment to an aircraft structure is constructed of a composite material and has a continuous, smooth outer surface; a continuous, smooth inner surface that is configured for attachment to an aircraft structure; a peripheral edge that extends entirely around the skin panel and has a continuous, smooth surface and a plurality of cavities inside the material of the skin panel. The cavities reduce the weight of the skin panel without significantly detracting from the compression strength and tensile strength of the skin panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A skin panel configured for attachment to an aircraft structure, the skin panel comprising:
a material of the skin panel used in constructing the skin panel;
a peripheral edge surface of the skin panel, the peripheral edge surface extending entirely around the skin panel, the peripheral edge surface being a continuous surface entirely around the skin panel;
an outer surface of the skin panel, the outer surface being entirely surrounded by the peripheral edge surface, the outer surface being a continuous surface within the peripheral edge surface;
an inner surface of the skin panel, the inner surface being entirely surrounded by the peripheral edge surface, the inner surface being a continuous surface within the peripheral edge surface, the inner surface being opposite the outer surface on the skin panel, the inner surface being configured for attachment to an aircraft structure;
an outer interior region of the material of the skin panel, the outer interior region being inside the skin panel and terminating at the outer surface;
an inner interior region of the material of the skin panel, the inner interior region being inside the skin panel and terminating at the inner surface; and,
a plurality of cavities inside the material and surrounded by the material of the skin panel, the plurality of cavities being positioned in a single plane inside the material and between the outer surface and the inner surface.

2. The skin panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer sheet of the material of the skin panel, the outer surface being on the outer sheet, the outer sheet having a thickness that defines the outer interior region of the material of the skin panel; and,
an inner sheet of the material of the skin panel, the inner surface being on the inner sheet, the inner sheet having a thickness that defines the inner interior region of the material of the skin panel.

3. The skin panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
each cavity of the plurality of cavities is defined by a first surface adjacent the outer surface and a second surface adjacent the inner surface, the first surface and the second surface being on opposite sides of the cavity.

4. The skin panel of claim 3 , further comprising:
the first surface and the second surface of each cavity being parallel;
each cavity of the plurality of cavities having a peripheral cavity surface that extends entirely around the cavity, the peripheral cavity surface having a length dimension around the cavity and a thickness dimension across the cavity; and,
the thickness dimension of the peripheral cavity surface of each cavity of the plurality of cavities being a same thickness dimension.

5. The skin panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an intermediate interior region of the material of the skin panel, the intermediate interior region being between the outer interior region and the inner interior region; and,
the plurality of cavities being positioned in the intermediate interior region.

6. The skin panel of claim 5 , further comprising:
the outer interior region having a constant thickness;
the inner interior region having a constant thickness; and,
the intermediate interior region having a constant thickness.

7. The skin panel of claim 6 , further comprising:
the material of the outer interior region, the material of the inner interior region and the material of the intermediate interior region being carbon fiber reinforced plastic; and,
the material of the outer interior region, the material of the inner interior region and the material of the intermediate interior region have been co-cured and bonded together forming the skin panel as a single, integral unit.

8. The skin panel of claim 6 , further comprising:
the material of the intermediate interior region being a cured carbon fiber reinforced plastic and the material of the outer interior region and the material of the inner interior region being carbon fiber reinforced plastic that has been co-cured onto the material of the intermediate interior region.

9. The skin panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
the material of the outer interior region and the material of the inner interior region being cured carbon fiber reinforced plastic that has been subsequently secured together.

10. A skin panel configured for attachment to an aircraft structure, the skin panel comprising:
a peripheral edge surface, the peripheral edge surface extending entirely around the skin panel, the peripheral edge surface being a continuous surface entirely around the skin panel;
an outer surface on the skin panel, the outer surface being entirely surrounded by the peripheral edge surface, the outer surface being a continuous surface within the peripheral edge surface;
an inner surface on the skin panel, the inner surface being entirely surrounded by the peripheral edge surface, the inner surface being a continuous surface within the peripheral edge surface, the inner surface being opposite the outer surface on the skin panel, the inner surface being configured for attachment to an aircraft structure; and,
a plurality of cavities inside the skin panel, the pluralities of cavities being between and spaced from the outer surface and the inner surface, and the plurality of cavities being surrounded by and spaced from the peripheral edge surface.

11. The skin panel of claim 10 , further comprising:
an outer sheet of composite material, the outer surface being on the outer sheet;
an inner sheet of composite material, the inner surface being on the inner sheet; and,
the outer sheet and the inner sheet being secured together with the peripheral edge surface extending entirely around the outer sheet and inner sheet.

12. The skin panel of claim 10 , further comprising:
each cavity of the plurality of cavities is defined by a first surface adjacent the outer surface and a second surface adjacent the inner surface, the first surface and the second surface being on opposite sides of the cavity; and,
the first surface and the second surface being parallel.

13. The skin panel of claim 12 , further comprising:
each cavity of the plurality of cavities having a peripheral cavity surface that extends entirely around the cavity, the peripheral cavity surface having a length dimension around the cavity and a thickness dimension across the cavity; and,
the thickness dimension of the peripheral cavity surface of each cavity of the plurality of cavities being a same thickness dimension.

14. The skin panel of claim 10 , further comprising:
a composite material of the skin panel used in constructing the skin panel, the composite material of the skin panel having an outer interior region adjacent the outer surface, an inner interior region adjacent the inner surface, and an intermediate interior region between the outer interior region and the inner interior region; and,
the plurality of cavities being positioned in the intermediate interior region.

15. The skin panel of claim 14 , further comprising:
the outer interior region having a constant thickness;
the inner interior region having a constant thickness; and,
the intermediate interior region having a constant thickness.

16. The skin panel of claim 14 , further comprising:
the composite material of the outer interior region, the composite material of the inner interior region and the composite material of the intermediate interior region being carbon fiber reinforced plastic; and,
the material of the outer interior region, the material of the inner interior region and the material of the intermediate interior region

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Walker Steven P
• Santini Gregory M
• Oakes Gary D
• Stickler Patrick B

Classifications

• B64C2001/0072

  from composite materials · CPC title

• B64C3/26 Primary

  Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels · CPC title

• B64C3/20

  Integral or sandwich constructions · CPC title

• B64C1/12

  Construction or attachment of skin panels · CPC title