Joint for composite wings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9272769-B2
Application number	US-201213675809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2012
Priority date	Nov 13, 2012
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A wing joint including a T-chord and a splice plate for connecting an inboard wing panel assembly and an outboard wing panel assembly. The wing panel assemblies include a stringer co-bonded or co-cured with a wing skin. The webbing and cap of the stringer may be trimmed to expose a noodle and base flange. The noodle and base flange interface with the bottom of the T-chord and the wing skin interfaces with the splice plate. The exposed noodle may be non-flush with the base flange of the trimmed stringer. The bottom of the T-chord may include a groove to accommodate a non-flush noodle so that a gap does not exist between the T-chord and the base flange. Alternatively, shims may be used to compensate for a non-flush noodle or the base flange and web may include sacrificial plies permitting the base flange and web to be trimmed flush with the noodle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wing joint comprising:
a T-chord having an inboard portion, an outboard portion, and a vertical portion;
a splice plate having an inboard portion and an outboard portion;
an inboard wing skin;
an outboard wing skin;
at least one inboard stringer connected to the inboard wing skin to form an inboard wing panel assembly, a portion of the inboard wing panel assembly positioned between the inboard portion of the T-chord and the inboard portion of the splice plate;
a first plurality of fasteners connecting the inboard portion of the T-chord with the inboard portion of the splice plate to secure the inboard wing panel assembly to the T-chord and the splice plate;
at least one outboard stringer connected to the outboard wing skin to form an outboard wing panel assembly, a portion of the outboard wing panel assembly positioned between the outboard portion of the T-chord and the outboard portion of the splice plate, the outboard string and the inboard string each comprising a base flange, at least one web, and at least one noodle, the outboard stringer and the inboard stringer each being trimmed to expose the at least one noodle;
a second plurality of fasteners connecting the outboard portion of the T-chord with the outboard portion of the splice plate to secure the outboard wing panel assembly to the T-chord and the splice plate; and
a first groove in the inboard portion of the T-chord to accommodate the at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer and a second groove in the outboard portion of the T-chord to accommodate the at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer.

2. The wing joint of claim 1 , wherein the joint is a lower side-of-body joint for a composite wing assembly.

3. The wing joint of claim 1 , the outboard stringer and the inboard stringer being blade stringers.

4. The wing joint of claim 1 , the inboard portion of the T-chord comprising at least one cutout and the outboard portion of the T-chord comprising at least one cutout, a portion of the web of the inboard stringer extending into the cutout on the inboard portion the T-chord and a portion of the web of the outboard stringer extending into the cutout on the outboard portion of the T-chord.

5. The wing joint of claim 4 , the first and second plurality of fasteners each comprising at least three longitudinal rows of fasteners, the at least one cutout on the inboard portion extending between fasteners in at least one row of fasteners and the at least one cutout on the outboard portion extending between fasteners in at least one row of fasteners.

6. The wing joint of claim 4 , the first and second plurality of fasteners each comprising at least three longitudinal rows of fasteners, the at least one cutout on the inboard portion extending between fasteners in at least two rows of fasteners and the at least one cutout on the outboard portion extending between fasteners in at least two rows of fasteners.

7. The wing joint of claim 1 , the outboard stringer and the inboard stringer being I stringers.

8. The wing joint of claim 7 , the I stringers further comprising a cap.

9. The wing joint of claim 1 , wherein the inboard wing panel assembly comprises a portion of the inboard wing skin, a portion of the base flange of the inboard stringer, and a portion of the at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer and wherein the outboard wing panel assembly comprises a portion of the outboard wing skin, a portion of the base flange of the outboard stringer, and a portion of the at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer.

10. The wing joint of claim 9 , further comprising a first shim and a second shim, the first shim positioned between the base flange of the inboard stringer and the inboard portion of the T-chord, the first shim being adjacent to at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer, the second shim positioned between the base flange of the outboard stringer and the outboard portion of the T-chord, the second shim being adjacent to at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer.

11. A method of forming a wing joint, the method comprising:
forming an inboard wing panel assembly, the inboard wing panel assembly comprising at least one inboard stringer connected to an inboard wing skin, the at least one inboard stringer comprising a base flange, at least one web, and at least one noodle;
forming an outboard wing panel assembly, the outboard wing panel assembly comprising at least one outboard stringer connected to an outboard wing skin, the at least one outboard stringer comprising a base flange, at least one web, and at least one noodle;
trimming the at least one web of the inboard stringer to expose the at least one noodle;
trimming the at least one web of the outboard stringer to expose the at least one noodle;
positioning a portion of the inboard wing panel assembly between an inboard portion of a T-chord and an inboard portion of a splice plate, the portion of the inboard wing panel assembly including a portion of the inboard wing skin, a portion of the base flange of the inboard stringer, and the at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer;
providing a groove in the inboard portion of the T-chord to accommodate the at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer;
providing a groove in the outboard portion of the T-chord to accommodate the at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer;
securing the inboard wing panel assembly to the inboard portion of the T-chord and the inboard portion of the splice plate with a plurality of fasteners;
positioning a portion of the outboard wing panel assembly between an outboard portion of a T-chord and an outboard portion of a splice plate, the portion of the outboard wing panel assembly including a portion of the outboard wing skin, a portion of the base flange of the outboard stringer, and the at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer; and
securing the outboard wing panel assembly to the outboard portion of the T-chord and the outboard portion of the splice plate with a plurality of fasteners.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing at least a first shim positioned between the inboard wing panel assembly and the inboard portion of the T-chord, the first shim being adjacent to the at least one exposed noodle of the inboard stringer; and
providing at least a second shim positioned between the outboard wing panel assembly and the outboard portion of the T-chord, the second shim being adjacent to the at least one exposed noodle of the outboard stringer.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming an inboard wing panel assembly further comprises co-curing the inboard wing skin and the inboard stringer and wherein forming an outboard wing panel assembly further comprises co-curing the outboard wing skin and the outboard stringer.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming an inboard wing panel assembly further comprises co-bonding the inboard wing skin and the inboard stringer and wherein forming an outboard wing panel assembly further comprises co-bonding the outboard wing skin and the outboard stringer.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the stringers are composite materials comprised of a plurality of plies.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
adding additional sacrificial plies to the inboard stringer and the outboard stringer prior to forming the inboard wing panel assembly and prior to forming the outboard wing panel assembly, the additional sacrificial plies permitting removal of the sacrificial plies to provide that the exposed noodle is flush without re

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Lin Chun-Liang
• Mahn Ryan M
• Lee Karl B

Classifications

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B64C3/26 Primary

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

• B64F5/00

  Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C1/26 Primary

  Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces · CPC title

• F16B5/02

  by means of fastening members using screw-thread ({F16B5/0004 takes precedence}; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00) · CPC title