Aircraft wing-pylon connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377992-B2
Application number	US-202017605567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Aug 20, 2019
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft assembly is disclosed having a wing and an engine mounting pylon. An aft end of the engine mounting pylon is connected to the wing by a spigot and at least one fastener. The aircraft assembly is configured such that, during operation of the aircraft assembly on an aircraft, the spigot transfers only lateral load between the engine mounting pylon and the wing and the at least one fastener transfers only vertical load between the engine mounting pylon and the wing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft assembly comprising:
a wing having a lower surface and an upper surface; and
an engine mounting pylon;
wherein an aft end of the engine mounting pylon is connected to the wing by a failsafe spigot having a free end and at least one fastener,
a fitting disposed between the lower surface of the wing and the failsafe spigot, and
wherein one end of the failsafe spigot is fixedly attached to either the fitting or the upper surface of the pylon at the other end of the failsafe spigot, and the other end of the failsafe spigot is engaged with an opening in the other of the fitting and the upper surface of the pylon so as to permit axial movement of the failsafe spigot relative to the opening so that, during operation of the aircraft assembly on an aircraft,
the failsafe spigot transfers only lateral load between the engine mounting pylon and the wing and the at least one fastener transfers only vertical load between the engine mounting pylon and the wing,
wherein the failsafe spigot further comprises an inner pin nested within an outer pin, each of which is individually able to withstand and transfer a predetermined load,
wherein the opening is lined with a symmetrically substantially cylindrical bush disposed on an outer surface of the outer pin, and wherein the bush is configured to permit any relative axial movement of the spigot and pylon,
wherein the bush includes an inner surface in direct contact with the outer surface of the outer pin, and
wherein the direct contact of the inner surface with the outer surface creates a continuous circumferential interface along an entire length of the bush.

2. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , configured such that the spigot transfers only lateral load perpendicular to the direction of travel of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the opening comprises a slot having a long axis which extends parallel to the direction of travel of the aircraft.

4. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , configured such that the spigot transfers lateral load parallel to and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the aircraft.

5. The aircraft assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the opening is configured to match the cross-sectional profile of the spigot such that relative lateral movement of the spigot and the opening is substantially prevented.

6. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wing comprises a lower cover, and wherein the fitting is attached to the lower cover.

7. The aircraft assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the fitting is between a top surface of the engine mounting pylon and the lower cover.

8. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical height of the fitting is less than 100 mm.

9. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fastener is a failsafe fastener.

10. An aircraft comprising the assembly of claim 1 .

11. The aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an ultra-high bypass ratio (UHBR) engine mounted on the engine mounting pylon.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Tulloch William
• Broomfield Pat

Classifications

• B64D27/402

  comprising box like supporting frames, e.g. pylons or arrangements for embracing the power plant · CPC title

• B64D27/404

  Suspension arrangements specially adapted for supporting vertical loads · CPC title

• B64D27/40 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting power plants in aircraft · CPC title

• B64C3/32 Primary

  specially adapted for mounting power plant · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title