Aircraft structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9957036-B2
Application number	US-201314433438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 5, 2012
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides an aircraft structure comprising a first sub-structure, having a first box cross-section, a second sub-structure, having a second box cross-section, and a joint joining a first end region of the first sub-structure to second end region of the second sub-structure, wherein the joint comprises an overlap region where the end regions of the first and the second sub-structures overlap such that the first sub-structure is inside the second sub-structure. The present invention also provides an aircraft comprising such an aircraft structure and a method of manufacturing an aircraft structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft structure comprising;
a first sub-structure, having a first box cross-section,
a second sub-structure, having a second box cross-section, and
a joint joining a first end region of the first sub-structure to a second end region of the second sub-structure,
wherein the joint comprises an overlap region where the end regions of the first and the second sub-structures overlap such that the first sub-structure is inside the second sub-structure,
wherein each box cross-section of the sub-structures has four sides formed from one or more structural elements, and
wherein on one or both of the sub-structures, extended portions of one or more structural elements extend further than the box cross-sections.

2. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the overlap region of the joint, the first box cross-section of the first sub-structure is contained within the second box cross-section of the second sub-structure.

3. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the overlap region of the joint, outer sides of the first box cross-section of the first sub-structure are in contact with inner sides of the second box cross-section of the second sub-structure.

4. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the box cross-sections of the sub-structures are formed by an n-shape or top-hat-shape spar on three sides and a separate cover on a fourth side.

5. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the box cross-sections of the sub-structures are formed by a u-shape or upside-down-top-hat-shape spar on three sides and a separate cover on a fourth side.

6. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the box cross-sections of the sub-structures are formed by a four sided box spar.

7. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or both of the box cross-sections of the sub-structures are formed by two spars on two opposite sides and two covers on the remaining sides.

8. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the structural elements of the second sub-structure are separated from one or more of the structural elements of the second sub-structure by one or more extended portions of one or more of the structural elements of the first sub-structure.

9. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second sub-structures are attached to each other using fasteners fastened through structural elements of both sub-structures.

10. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the sub-structures comprises a structural element with an offset portion in the overlap region that is offset from a portion of that structural element adjacent the overlap region, such that a portion of a structural element of the other sub-structure can be located adjacent to the offset portion in the overlap region.

11. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the portion of the structural element of the other sub-structure is substantially in the same plane as the portion adjacent the overlap region of the structural element of the one sub-structure.

12. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more sides of the second box cross-section box section of the second sub-structure are angled outwards.

13. The aircraft structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first sub-structure has a cross-section that decreases away from the first end region and wherein the second sub-structure has a cross-section that increases away from the second end region.

14. An aircraft comprising the aircraft structure of claim 1 .

15. A method of manufacturing an aircraft structure comprising the following steps:
providing a first sub-structure,
providing a second sub-structure,
placing a first end region of the first sub-structure adjacent the second end region of the second sub-structure, such that the end regions of the first and the second sub-structures overlap,
providing at least one additional structural element so that both sub-structures have box cross-sections and so that the box cross-section of the first sub-structure is inside the box cross-section of the second sub-structure,
joining the first and second sub-structures together in the overlap region, and
wherein each box cross-section of the sub-structures has four sides formed from one or more structural elements, and
wherein on one or both of the sub-structures, extended portions of one or more structural elements extend further than the box cross-sections.

16. The method of manufacturing an aircraft structure as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first and second sub-structures are joined using fasteners, fastened through structural elements of both sub-structures.

17. The method of manufacturing an aircraft structure as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the first sub-structure has a cross-section that decreases away from its first end region and wherein the second sub-structure has a cross-section that increases away from its second end region and wherein the second sub structure is moved inside the first sub-structure towards the second end region of the second sub-structure.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Sanderson Timothy J
• Price Jonathan
• Eden James
• Korya Chetan
• Heath Robert James
• Baker Peter
• Smith Richard
• Morgan Graham

Classifications

• B64C3/185 Primary

  Spars · CPC title

• B64C1/065

  Spars · CPC title

• B64C3/20

  Integral or sandwich constructions · CPC title

• B64C3/10

  Shape of wings · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title