Aircraft wing box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11613376-B2
Application number	US-202117217564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

An aircraft wing box is disclosed having a fuel tank with a fuel-tight boundary, upper and lower covers, forward and aft spars, and a partition including an inboard portion, an outboard portion, and a third portion between the inboard and outboard portions. Each cover is attached to each spar, the inboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars, the outboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars, each cover is joined to the partition. The inboard part, outboard part and third part of the partition are integrally formed as a single-piece; and the single-piece provides part of the fuel-tight boundary of the fuel tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft wing box, comprising:
a fuel tank with a fuel-tight boundary; upper and lower covers; forward and aft spars; and a partition which provides part of the fuel-tight boundary of the fuel tank,
the partition comprising an inboard portion, an outboard portion, and an intermediate portion between the inboard and outboard portions, wherein:
each cover is attached to each spar;
the inboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars;
the outboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars;
each cover is joined to the partition;
the inboard, outboard and intermediate portions of the partition are integrally formed as a single-piece; and,
wherein the inboard portion and the outboard portion are joined to the same one of the spars.

2. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the covers and one or both of the spars provide part of the fuel-tight boundary of the fuel tank.

3. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard portion is joined to one of the spars and the outboard portion is joined to the other one of the spars.

4. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard portion and the outboard portion are joined to the forward spar.

5. An aircraft wing box according to claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion has a curved concave forward surface facing the forward spar and a curved convex aft surface facing away from the forward spar.

6. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the fuel-tight boundary is formed by one of the spars.

7. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the covers is integrally formed as a single piece with at least one of the spars.

8. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate portion of the partition comprises a diaphragm with a planar diaphragm web.

9. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel-tight boundary is a boundary between two adjacent fuel bays arranged to hold fuel, preferably an inboard fuel bay and an outboard fuel bay.

10. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel-tight boundary is a boundary between a fuel bay arranged to hold fuel and a dry bay arranged to be free of fuel.

11. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the partition comprises at least one foot or flange attached to the upper cover and at least one foot or flange attached to the lower cover, wherein each foot or flange is integrally formed with the rest of the partition as a single-piece.

12. An aircraft wing box according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard portion has a post or flange attached to one of the forward spar and aft spar, the outboard portion has a post or flange attached to one of the forward spar and aft spar, and each post or flange is integrally formed with the rest of the partition as a single-piece.

13. An aircraft wing box, comprising:
a root and a tip, the wing box extending from the tip to the root in a spanwise direction,
a forward spar and a aft spar spaced apart in a chordwise direction, and
an upper cover and a lower cover each extending between the front and aft spars,
a fuel-tight partition comprising
a first portion extending in a substantially chordwise direction,
a second portion extending in a substantially chordwise direction, and
a third portion between the first and second chordwise portions and extending
in a substantially spanwise direction,

wherein the first, second and third portions are integral with each other,
wherein the first portion and the second portion are joined to the same one of the front and aft spars.

14. An aircraft comprising a wing box according to claim 1 .

15. A method of manufacturing the wing box of claim 1 , the method comprising machining, casting, pressing, co-curing or moulding material to form the partition as a single piece; and installing the partition the partition in the wing box.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Peacock Antony Charles
• Salisbury Ross
• Paisley Jonathan
• Scott Phillip

Classifications

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64D37/08

  Internal partitioning · CPC title

• B64C3/18 Primary

  Spars; Ribs; Stringers · CPC title

• B64D37/04 Primary

  Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft · CPC title

• B64C3/34 Primary

  Tanks constructed integrally with wings, e.g. for fuel or water · CPC title