Connector between two aircraft components, such as a wing and wing tip device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896187-B2
Application number	US-201615072401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft structure comprising a wing tip device connected to a wing by a plurality of connectors, wherein each connector comprises a spigot associated with the wing tip device or the wing, and a lug associated with the other of the wing tip device or wing. The lug has a hole for receiving the respective spigot. The spigot of each connector is moveably mounted, relative to said wing tip device or wing, about a central position, such that during movement of the connectors from a dis-engaged configuration to an engaged configuration, each spigot can move away from the central position to align itself with the hole of the respective lug.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft structure comprising a wing tip device connected to a wing tip by a plurality of connectors,
wherein each connector comprises a spigot associated with the wing tip device or the wing, and a lug associated with the other of the wing tip device or wing, the lug having a hole for receiving the respective spigot in a male/female connection,
wherein the connectors are configurable between an engaged configuration in which each spigot is received in the hole of the respective lug, thereby connecting the wing and wing tip device together, and a dis-engaged configuration in which each spigot is withdrawn from the hole of the respective lug such that the wing tip device is moveable relative to the wing,
wherein
the spigot of each connector is moveably mounted, relative to said wing tip device or wing, about a central position, such that during movement of the connectors from the dis-engaged configuration to the engaged configuration, each spigot can move away from the central position to align itself with the hole of the respective lug.

2. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of each spigot is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the hole of the respective lug, such that the spigot is a tight fit in the hole.

3. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 , wherein each spigot is moveable, about the central position, in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spigot.

4. An aircraft structure according to claim 3 , wherein each spigot is moveable, about the central position, by a distance that is less than the diameter of the spigot.

5. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 , wherein each spigot comprises a distal end for initial entry into the hole of the respective lug, said distal end being chamfered to assist movement of the distal end into the hole.

6. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 , wherein each connector comprises a re-centering mechanism for re-centering the spigot to its central position, and the connector is configurable from the engaged configuration, to a locked-engaged configuration, in which locked-engaged configuration each spigot has been re-centred to its central position by the re-centering mechanism.

7. An aircraft structure according to claim 6 , wherein the connectors are moved from the engaged configuration into the locked-engaged configuration by relative movement of the wing and wing tip device towards each other, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the spigots and the holes.

8. An aircraft structure according to claim 7 , wherein the re-centering mechanism comprises a male member and a female member for receiving the male member, at least one of the male or female members having a tapered surface for urging the male and female members into a concentric relationship as the male member moves into the female member, thereby re-centering the spigot.

9. An aircraft structure according to claim 8 , wherein the male and female member have complementary surfaces for urging the male and female members into a concentric relationship as the male member moves into the female member.

10. An aircraft structure according to claim 8 , wherein the male member comprises a truncated cone.

11. An aircraft structure according to claim 8 , wherein the female member comprises a chamfered hole.

12. An aircraft structure according to claim 7 , wherein each spigot is mounted on said wing tip device or wing, via the re-centering mechanism.

13. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 wherein the wing tip device is moveable relative to the wing between:
a) a flight configuration for use during flight, and
b) a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations, in which ground configuration the wing tip device is moved away from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced.

14. An aircraft structure according to claim 13 , wherein the wing tip device is moveable from the flight configuration to the ground configuration via an intermediate configuration, and during movement from the flight configuration to the intermediate configuration the wing tip device is displaced in a first direction, relative to the wing, the displacement being such the connectors move from the engaged configuration to the dis-engaged configuration.

15. An aircraft structure according to claim 14 , wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the spigots.

16. An aircraft structure according to claim 14 , wherein the first direction is forwards, in a generally chordwise direction.

17. An aircraft structure according to claim 14 , wherein in the intermediate configuration the wing tip device is connected to the wing via a hinge about which the wing tip device region may rotate, and in the ground configuration, the wing tip device is rotated about the hinge, such that the span of the aerodynamic structure is reduced.

18. An aircraft structure according to claim 1 wherein the spigots of each connector are associated with the wing, and the lugs of each connector are associated with the wing tip device.

19. A connector for use as one of the connectors in claim 1 , the connector comprising a spigot and a lug, the lug having a hole for receiving the spigot in a male/female connection,
wherein the connector is configurable between an engaged configuration in which the spigot is received in the hole of the lug, and a dis-engaged configuration in which the spigot is withdrawn from the hole of the lug,
wherein
the spigot of the connector is moveably mountable, on a wing or wing tip device, about a central position, such that during movement of the connector from the dis-engaged configuration to the engaged configuration, the spigot can move away from the central position to align itself with the hole of the lug.

20. A method of connecting a wing tip device to a wing using a plurality of connectors,
wherein each connector comprises a spigot associated with the wing tip device or wing, and a lug associated with the other of the wing tip device or wing, the lug having a hole for receiving the respective spigot in a male/female connection,
the method comprising the steps of:
moving from a dis-engaged configuration in which each spigot is withdrawn from the hole of the respective lug such that the wing tip device is moveable relative to the wing, to an engaged configuration which each spigot is received in the hole of the respective lug, thereby connecting the wing and wing tip device together,
wherein
the spigot of each connector is moveably mounted, relative to said wing tip device or wing, about a central position, and the method comprises the step of allowing the spigot to move away from the central position to align itself with the hole of the respective lug.

21. A method according to claim 20 , further comprising the step of moving the connectors to a locked-engaged configuration, in which locked-engaged configuration each spigot has been re-centred to its central position by a re-centering mechanism.

22. A method according to claim 21 , wherein the step of moving the connectors to the locked-engaged configuration comprises moving the wing towards the wing tip device, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the spigot and the hole.

23. An aircraft structure comprising a wing tip device connected to a wing tip by a plurality of connectors,
wherein each connector comprises a spigot assoc

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Thompson Robert Ian

Classifications

• B64C3/38 Primary

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B64C3/56 Primary

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• F16B19/02

  Bolts or sleeves for positioning of machine parts, e.g. notched taper pins, fitting pins, sleeves, eccentric positioning rings · CPC title

• F16B5/025

  specially designed to compensate for misalignement or to eliminate unwanted play · CPC title

• B64C3/26

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