Mechanically Joining airframe members at solid insert

• US 10,457,378 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Textron Inc. (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Kooiman, James Everett, Decker, George Ryan, Stanney, Keith Alan, Chris, Robert Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abell, Tye William
• Application Number:
  US15/601,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20170259905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/00 Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 24/005 the structure having joined ribs, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0021 provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/024 Honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/34 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/18 Spars; Ribs; Stringers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/187 Ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels

Abstract

An airframe assembly for an aircraft includes a first airframe member having first and second skins with a large cell core and a solid insert joined therebetween. The solid insert has a side surface at least a portion of which is adjacent to the large cell core. The first airframe member has a first set of openings extending through the first skin, the solid insert and the second skin. The airframe assembly also includes a second airframe member having a second set of openings operable to be aligned with the first set of openings of the first airframe member. Each of a plurality of fasteners extends through one of the openings of the first set of openings and one of the openings of the second set of openings securably coupling the first airframe member to the second airframe member.

Claims

1. An airframe assembly for an aircraft comprising:

a first airframe member having a first skin, a second skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the first and second skins and structurally bonded together, the first airframe member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the first skin, one of the solid inserts and the second skin;

a second airframe member having a first skin, a second skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the first and second skins and structurally bonded together, the second airframe member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the first skin, one of the solid inserts and the second skin;

a plurality of ribs disposed between the first and second airframe members each rib having a first set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the first airframe member and a second set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the second airframe member; and

a plurality of fastener each extending through aligned openings of one of the ribs and one of the first and second airframe members to securably couple each of the ribs between the first and second airframe members such that each of the ribs is securably coupled to the first airframe member opposite one of the solid inserts and securably coupled to the second airframe member opposite one of the solid inserts.

2. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second skins further comprises a composite laminate skin.

3. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the large cell core sections are selected from the group consisting of large cell composite cores and large cell carbon cores.

4. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first skins, the second skins and the solid inserts further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and carbon composite materials.

5. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first skins, the second skins and the solid inserts have substantially matching coefficients of thermal expansion.

6. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first skin, the second skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the first airframe member are co-cured together and wherein the first skin, the second skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the second airframe member are co-cured together.

7. The airframe assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the ribs is substantially parallel with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the first airframe member and with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the second airframe member.

8. A wing assembly for an aircraft comprising:

an upper wing member having an outer skin, an inner skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the inner and outer skins and structurally bonded together, the upper wing member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the outer skin, one of the solid inserts and the inner skin;

a lower wing member having an outer skin, an inner skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the inner and outer skins and structurally bonded together, the lower wing member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the outer skin, one of the solid inserts and the inner skin;

a plurality of wing ribs disposed between the upper and lower wing members each wing rib having a first set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the upper wing member and a second set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the lower wing member; and

a plurality of fastener each extending through aligned openings of one of the wing ribs and one of the upper and lower wing members to securably couple each of the wing ribs between the upper and lower wing members such that each of the wing ribs is securably coupled to the upper wing member opposite one of the solid inserts and securably coupled to the lower wing member opposite one of the solid inserts.

9. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein each of the outer and inner skins further comprises a composite laminate skin.

10. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the large cell core sections are selected from the group consisting of large cell composite cores and large cell carbon cores.

11. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the inner skins, the outer skins and the solid inserts further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and carbon composite materials.

12. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the inner skins, the outer skins and the solid inserts have substantially matching coefficients of thermal expansion.

13. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the outer skin, the inner skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the upper wing member are co-cured together and wherein the outer skin, the inner skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the lower wing member are co-cured together.

14. The wing assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein each of the wing ribs is substantially parallel with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the upper wing member and with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the lower wing member.

15. An aircraft comprising:

a first airframe member having a first skin, a second skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the first and second skins and structurally bonded together, the first airframe member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the first skin, one of the solid inserts and the second skin;

a second airframe member having a first skin, a second skin, a plurality of large cell core sections and a plurality of solid inserts, the large cell core sections and the solid inserts structurally bonded between the first and second skins and structurally bonded together, the second airframe member having a plurality of sets of openings, each set of openings extending through the first skin, one of the solid inserts and the second skin;

a plurality of ribs disposed between the first and second airframe members each rib having a first set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the first airframe member and a second set of openings aligned with one of the sets of openings of the second airframe member; and

a plurality of fastener each extending through aligned openings of one of the ribs and one of the first and second airframe members to securably couple each of the ribs between the first and second airframe members such that each of the ribs is securably coupled to the first airframe member opposite one of the solid inserts and securably coupled to the second airframe member opposite one of the solid inserts.

16. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein each of the first and second skins further comprises a composite laminate skin.

17. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein the large cell core sections are selected from the group consisting of large cell composite cores and large cell carbon cores.

18. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein the first skins, the second skins and the solid inserts further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and carbon composite materials.

19. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein the first skins, the second skins and the solid inserts have substantially matching coefficients of thermal expansion.

20. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein the first skin, the second skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the first airframe member are co-cured together and wherein the first skin, the second skin, the plurality of large cell core sections and the plurality of solid inserts of the second airframe member are co-cured together.

21. The aircraft as recited in claim 15 wherein each of the ribs is substantially parallel with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the first airframe member and with the oppositely disposed solid insert of the second airframe member.