Lining/fairing panel and method for measuring the electrical bonding resistance of a lining/fairing panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284064-B2
Application number	US-201314066772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A lining/fairing panel, in particular a lining/fairing panel for an airborne vehicle such as an aircraft or a spacecraft is provided. The lining/fairing panel includes a panel body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an electrically conductive coating applied to the first surface or the second surface, and a via arranged in the panel body reaching from the first surface to the second surface of the panel body. The via is formed in an inner region of the panel body. The borders of the inner region are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the borders of the first and second surface of the panel body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lining/fairing panel, comprising:
a panel body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
an electrically conductive coating applied to the second surface;
a via arranged in the panel body that extends from the first surface to the second surface of the panel body, the via being formed in an inner region of the panel body and a border of the inner region is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from a border of the first surface and a border of the second surface of the panel body;
a bolt comprising an electrically conductive material arranged in the via, the bolt being electrically coupled to the electrically conductive coating;
a nut arranged on the second surface of the panel body, wherein the bolt is a threaded bolt threadingly engaging the nut; and
a first washer comprising an electrically conductive material, the first washer being arranged between the nut and the second surface of the panel body;
wherein the first washer extends over at least part of the electrically conductive coating electrically coupling the electrically conductive coating to the bolt.

2. The panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second washer comprising an electrically conductive material, the second washer being arranged between a head of the bolt and the first surface of the panel body.

3. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel body comprises a monolithic and electrically non-conductive glass fibre composite material.

4. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel body comprises at least two layers of glass fibre composite material sandwiching a honeycomb core structure.

5. The panel of claim 4 , wherein a filler of conductive or non-conductive material is arranged in the panel body surrounding the via.

6. The panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a surface protection layer applied to the electrically conductive coating.

7. An airborne vehicle, comprising:
one or more structural elements;
a plurality of lining/fairing panels mounted on the structural elements, each one of the plurality of panels including:
a panel body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
an electrically conductive coating applied to the second surface;
a via arranged in the panel body that extends from the first surface to the second surface of the panel body, the via being formed in an inner region of the panel body and a border of the inner region is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from a border of the first surface and a border of the second surface of the panel body;
a bolt comprising an electrically conductive material arranged in the via, the bolt being electrically coupled to the electrically conductive coating;
a nut arranged on the second surface of the panel body, wherein the bolt is a threaded bolt threadingly engaging the nut; and
a first washer comprising an electrically conductive material, the first washer being arranged between the nut and the second surface of the panel body;
wherein the first washer extends over at least part of the electrically conductive coating electrically coupling the electrically conductive coating to the bolt.

8. The airborne vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second washer comprising an electrically conductive material, the second washer being arranged between a head of the bolt and the first surface of the panel body.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Grossmann Matthias
• Kaste Michael

Classifications

• B64D45/02 Primary

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• G01N27/04 Primary

  by investigating resistance · CPC title

• G01R27/02

  Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant (by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00) · CPC title

• B64F5/0045

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic