Lightning protection fastener and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290276-B2
Application number	US-201314051888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 15, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An aircraft of the present invention includes an outer panel 4 made of a fiber reinforced plastic material, a support member 5 , and a lightning protection fastener 1 . The fastener 1 includes a metal fastener body 2 having a shaft portion 10 and a head portion 20 , and an insulating member 30 made of an insulating plastic material and mounted to the head portion 20 . The portion 20 has a frustoconical-shaped fastener seat surface 211 . The panel 4 includes a receiving surface 41 conforming to the fastener seat surface 211 . The member 30 includes an insulating seat surface 321 retracted from a plane of the fastener seat surface 211 such that, when a portion 41 A of the receiving surface 41 which is opposed to the fastener seat surface 211 is depressed, an insulating seat surface 321 comes into contact with the receiving surface 41.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lightning protection fastener for fastening an outer panel to a support member, the outer panel being made of a fiber reinforced plastic material, and the support member supporting a backside of the outer panel, comprising: a fastener body made of a metal, the fastener body including a shaft portion passing through the outer panel and the support member, and a head portion located on an outer surface side of the outer panel; and an insulating member made of an insulating plastic material and mounted to the head portion, wherein the head portion has a seat surface forming a frustoconical shape, wherein the outer panel has a receiving surface conforming to the seat surface, such that the seat surface comes into contact with the receiving surface as the fastener is tightened on the outer panel, wherein the insulating member has an insulating inclined portion forming a contact surface which is spaced apart from a plane of the seat surface, such that, when a portion of the receiving surface which opposes the seat surface is depressed by the fastener body, the contact surface comes into contact with the receiving surface, wherein the depression of the receiving surface creates a gap between the insulating inclined portion, the outer panel, and the fastener body, and the gap is filled with an insulating sealant, and wherein the contact surface comes into contact with the receiving surface with a predetermined contact pressure that makes the insulating member remain flat at an outer edge of the outer panel.

2. The lightning protection fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the contact surface is formed parallel to the seat surface and at a separation distance spaced apart from the seat surface.

3. The lightning protection fastener according to claim 1 , wherein an insulating sealant is provided for filling a space between the receiving surface and the insulating member, the space being located in the outer surface side from the contact surface.

4. An aircraft comprising:
an outer panel made of a fiber reinforced plastic material,
a support member for supporting the backside of the outer panel, and
the lightning protection fastener according to claim 1 for fastening the outer panel to the support member.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4 , wherein the outer panel is depressed when the lightning protection fastener, passing through the outer panel and the support member, is tightened on the outer panel.

6. The lightning protection fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined contact pressure makes the insulating member remain flat at the outer edge without being warped at the outer edge.

7. The lightning protection fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating inclined portion forming the contact surface is inclined to the seat surface at a separation distance, wherein the separation distance gradually decreases from a border between the seat surface and the contact surface to the outer surface side of the outer panel.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Yasunori
• Himeno Takamitsu
• Yamakoshi Hideo

Classifications

• B64D45/02 Primary

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• F16B33/004

  Sealing; Insulation (by means of washers F16B43/001) · CPC title

• F16B37/14

  Cap nuts; Nut caps or bolt caps · CPC title