Seal assembly for an aircraft wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9102393-B2
Application number	US-201313845620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 22, 2012
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

A wing assembly for an aircraft is disclosed having a spar, a wing cover, and a rib. The spar has a web portion and a flange portion joined by a radius corner, wherein a gap is formed at an interface between the spar, the wing cover and the rib. The assembly further includes a seal member which substantially covers the gap, and sealant provided between the seal member and the rib and/or the wing cover and/or the spar so as to seal the gap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing assembly for an aircraft comprising:
a wing spar,
a wing cover and
a structural component attached to the wing spar;
wherein the wing spar has a web and a flange connected by a radius corner, and the flange is attached to the wing cover such that a gap is formed at an interface between the spar, the wing cover and the structural component;
the assembly further comprising a seal member which substantially covers the gap, and sealant provided between the seal member and at least one of the structural component, the wing cover and the wing spar; the wing spar, the wing cover, and the structural component each being in contact with at least one of the seal member and sealant so as to seal the gap.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member and the sealant substantially prevent a flow of air through the gap.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises a projecting portion which extends over the gap.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the projecting portion is shaped to compliment a profile of the gap.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises a body portion and a projecting portion which tapers away from the body portion.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member is substantially planar.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member comprises an attachment portion which is attached to at least one of the structural component, the wing cover and the wing spar.

8. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member is attached to at least one of the structural component, the wing cover and the wing spar by an adhesive.

9. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the sealant is an aerospace grade sealant.

10. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the spar comprises a fibre reinforced composite material.

11. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wing spar is a front spar.

12. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wing cover is an upper wing cover or a lower wing cover.

13. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the structural component is a wing rib.

14. An assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the wing rib is at least a sealed forward rib disposed at a leading edge of the wing assembly so as to define a boundary between two compartments within the leading edge, wherein the rib and the sealed seal member are operable to substantially prevent a flow of air between the two compartments.

15. An assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the at least a sealed forward rib is a plurality of sealed forward ribs spaced along the wing spar.

16. An aircraft comprising a wing assembly according to claim 1 .

17. A method for sealing a gap in an aircraft wing assembly having a wing spar, a wing cover and a structural component attached to the wing spar, wherein the wing spar has a web and a flange connected by a radius comer, and the flange is attached to the wing cover such that a gap is formed at an interface between the spar, the wing cover and the structural component, the method comprising:
attaching a seal member to at least one of the structural component, the wing cover, and the wing spar so as to substantially cover the gap; and
providing sealant between the seal member and the at least one of the structural member, the wing cover and the wing spar, and wherein the spar, the wing cover and the structural component each being in contact with at least one of the seal member and sealant so as to seal the gap.

18. A wing assembly for an aircraft comprising
a wing spar, a wing cover and a structural component attached to the wing spar;
wherein the wing spar has a web and a flange connected by a radius comer, and the spar flange is attached to the wing cover such that a gap is formed at an interface between the spar, the wing cover and the structural component;
the assembly further comprising a seal member which substantially covers the gap and a portion of the seal member overlaps with the structural component, and sealant provided between the seal member and at least one of the structural component, the wing cover and the wing spar so as to seal the gap.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Wilson James
• Hadley Paul
• Quayle Alan

Classifications

• B64C3/26

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

• B64C3/187

  Ribs · CPC title

• B64C3/185 Primary

  Spars · CPC title

• B64C3/28

  Leading or trailing edges attached to primary structures, e.g. forming fixed slots · CPC title