Modular structural assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862478-B2
Application number	US-201314085354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2013
Priority date	Nov 21, 2012
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A modular structural assembly to form part of an aircraft wing that has an outer skin and a plurality of stringers is disclosed. The assembly includes a plurality of panels, each panel having a portion that forms part of the outer skin and at least one stringer integrally formed with said portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular structural assembly to form part of an aircraft wing, the modular structural assembly having a plurality of upper panels, each comprising an upper outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent upper outer skin portions being attachable to each other, and a plurality of lower panels each comprising a lower outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent lower outer skin portions being attachable to each other, wherein at least two adjacent upper panels each comprise at least one stringer integrally formed with said upper outer skin portion as a single piece component, and at least two adjacent lower panels comprise at least one stringer integrally formed with said lower outer skin portion as a single piece component;
wherein each of the at least one stringer of each of the upper panels and each of the lower panels comprises a remote end and extends from the upper or lower outer skin portions to the remote end; and
a cover plate is attached to the remote ends of at least two of the stringers on adjacent ones of the upper or lower panels, such that an enclosed cell is formed by the cover plate, the at least two of the stringers, and the upper or lower outer skin portions of the two adjacent upper or lower panels.

2. A modular structural assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each panel comprises two stringers each having an upper end remote from said portion, and a cover plate attachable to said stringers to connect said upper ends together to form a cell enclosed by said portion, the stringers and the cover plate.

3. A modular structural assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the cover plates are attachable to said stringers by welding.

4. A modular structural assembly according to claim 2 , comprising a crack retarding element positionable in the cell.

5. A modular structural assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a spar cap element and a spar, the spar being attachable to a panel via said spar cap element.

6. A modular structural assembly according to claim 5 , wherein said spar cap element comprises a portion that forms part of the outer skin, said portion having an edge attachable to an edge of an outer skin portion of a panel.

7. A modular structural assembly according to claim 6 , wherein said portion of the spar cap that forms part of the outer skin is attachable to an edge of an outer skin portion of a panel.

8. A modular structural assembly according to claim 7 , wherein said portion of the spar cap that forms part of the outer skin is attachable to an edge of an outer skin portion of a panel by welding.

9. A modular structural assembly according to claim 7 , wherein said spar cap element has a spar attachment member upstanding from said outer skin portion, said spar being attachable to said spar attachment member.

10. A modular structural assembly according to claim 9 , wherein said spar is attachable to a spar attachment member by welding.

11. A modular structural assembly according to claim 9 , comprising, a spar cap being attachable to a panel at either end of each of the upper and the lower sets of panels, and a spar attachable to said spar caps so as to extend between said upper and lower sets of panels at each end to form an enclosed wing box section.

12. A modular structural assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the panels are attachable to each other by welding.

13. A modular structural assembly according to claim 9 , wherein at least the panels are formed by extrusion.

14. A box section for an aircraft wing comprising
a modular structural assembly that has upper and lower outer skins and a plurality of stringers,
a plurality of upper panels, each comprising an upper outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent upper outer skin portions being attachable to each other to form said upper outer skin, and
a plurality of lower panels, each comprising an lower outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent lower outer skin portions being attachable to each other to form said lower outer skin,
each upper panel having at least one integrally formed stringer and each lower panel having at least one integrally formed stringer, wherein a stringer and a panel together form a single piece component,
an upper spar cap element at either end of the plurality of upper panels, wherein each of the upper spar cap elements comprises a portion that forms part of the upper outer skin, said portion having an edge attachable to an edge of an outer skin portion of a panel,
a lower spar cap element at either end of the plurality of lower panels, wherein each of the lower spar cap elements comprises a portion that forms part of the lower outer skin, said portion having an edge attachable to an edge of an outer skin portion of one of the lower panels, and
a spar attached between said upper and lower spar cap elements at each end and extending between said upper and lower pluralities of panels.

15. An aircraft wing comprising a modular structural assembly according to claim 1 .

16. The modular structural assembly of claim 1 wherein the single piece component is a single piece metal extruded component.

17. The box section of claim 14 wherein the panel is a single piece extruded metal panel.

18. The modular structural assembly of claim 1 , wherein the modular structural assembly is a single piece metal extruded component.

19. A modular structural assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the attached edges of the plurality of upper panels extend between leading and trailing edges of the plurality of upper panels in a span wise direction, and the attached edges of the plurality of lower panels extend between leading and trailing edges of the plurality of lower panels in a span wise direction.

20. The box section according to claim 14 , wherein said spar cap element has a spar attachment member upstanding from said outer skin portion, said spar being attachable to said spar attachment member.

21. A modular structural assembly to form part of an aircraft wing, the modular structural assembly having a plurality of upper panels, each comprising an upper outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent upper outer skin portions being attachable to each other, and a plurality of lower panels each comprising a lower outer skin portion comprising an edge, the edges of adjacent lower outer skin portions being attachable to each other, wherein each upper panel comprises at least one stringer integrally formed with said upper outer skin portion as a single piece component, and at each lower panel comprises at least one stringer integrally formed with said lower outer skin portion as a single piece component;
wherein each panel comprises two stringers each having an upper end remote from said portion, and a cover plate attachable to said stringers to connect said upper ends together to form a cell enclosed by said portion, the stringers and the cover plate,
said cover plate having an edge attachable to an edge of each of said upper ends of said stringers.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Sanderson Timothy
• Price Jonathan
• Black Alexander

Classifications

• B64C3/26 Primary

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

• B64C3/182

  Stringers, longerons · CPC title

• B64C3/20

  Integral or sandwich constructions · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title