Apparatuses and methods for joining composite members and other structural members in aircraft wing boxes and other structures

• US 20080128553A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kismarton, Max U., Brown, Stephen T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,575,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/124
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/26 Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for joining composite members and other structural members in aircraft wings and other structures are disclosed herein. An aircraft wing box structure configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a first composite member having a first surface portion positioned at an angel relative to a second surface portion of a second composite member. The wing box structure of this embodiment further includes at least one metallic joining member having an upstanding leg portion extending from a base portion. The base portion of the joining member is bonded to the first surface portion of the first composite member with a first portion of adhesive, and the upstanding leg portion of the metallic joining member is bonded to the second surface portion of the second composite member with a second portion of adhesive.

Claims

1. An aircraft structure comprising:

a first structural member constructed from composite materials, the first structural member having a tapered edge portion, wherein the tapered edge portion has a first surface portion opposite a second surface portion;

a second structural member having a third surface portion, wherein the tapered edge portion of the first structural member at least approximately abuts the third surface portion of the second structural member;

a first metallic joining member having a first base portion positioned adjacent to the third surface portion of the second structural member, and a first upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the first surface portion of the first structural member, wherein at least a first distal end portion of the first upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a second metallic joining member having a second base portion positioned adjacent to the third surface portion of the second structural member, and a second upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the second surface portion of the first structural member, wherein at least a second distal end portion of the second upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a first portion of adhesive forming a first structural bond between the first upstanding leg portion of the first metallic joining member and the first surface portion of the first structural member; and

a second portion of adhesive forming a second structural bond between the second upstanding leg portion of the second metallic joining member and the second surface portion of the first structural member.

2. The aircraft structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a third portion of adhesive forming a third structural bond between the first base portion of the first metallic joining member and the third surface portion of the second structural member; and

a fourth portion of adhesive forming a fourth structural bond between the second base portion of the second metallic joining member and the third surface portion of the second structural member.

3. The aircraft structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a third portion of adhesive forming a third structural bond between the first base portion of the first metallic joining member and the third surface portion of the second structural member; and

a fourth portion of adhesive forming a fourth structural bond between the second base portion of the second metallic joining member and the first base portion of the first metallic joining member.

4. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the first base portion of the first metallic joining member is sandwiched between the second base portion of the second metallic joining member and the second structural member.

5. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the tapered edge portion of the first structural member is bonded to the first upstanding leg portion of the first metallic joining member and the second upstanding leg portion of the second metallic joining member in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the first and second upstanding leg portions and the tapered edge portion.

6. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the first structural member includes a first core portion sandwiched between a first facesheet and a second facesheet, wherein the first and second facesheets are joined together along an outer boundary of the tapered edge portion, and wherein the outer boundary is sandwiched between the first upstanding leg portion and the second upstanding leg portion.

7. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the first structural member includes a first core portion sandwiched between a first facesheet and a second facesheet, and wherein the second structural member includes a second core portion sandwiched between a third facesheet and a fourth facesheet.

8. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the tapered edge portion of the first structural member is a first tapered edge portion, wherein the first structural member further includes a second tapered edge portion opposite from the first tapered edge portion, and wherein the second tapered edge portion has a fourth surface portion opposite a fifth surface portion, and wherein the aircraft structure further comprises:

a third structural member having a sixth surface portion, wherein the second tapered edge portion of the first structural member at least approximately abuts the sixth surface portion of the third structural member;

a third metallic joining member having a third base portion positioned adjacent to the sixth surface portion of the third structural member, and a third upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the fourth surface portion of the first structural member, wherein at least a third distal end portion of the third upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a fourth metallic joining member having a fourth base portion positioned adjacent to the sixth surface portion of the third structural member, and a fourth upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the fifth surface portion of the first structural member, wherein at least a fourth distal end portion of the fourth upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a third portion of adhesive forming a third structural bond between the third upstanding leg portion of the third metallic joining member and the fourth surface portion of the first structural member; and

a fourth portion of adhesive forming a fourth structural bond between the fourth upstanding leg portion of the fourth metallic joining member and the fifth surface portion of the first structural member.

9. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the first structural member is a wing rib and the second structural member is a wing spar.

10. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the first structural member is a wing rib and the second structural member is a first wing spar, wherein the tapered edge portion of the wing rib is a first tapered edge portion and the wing rib further includes a second tapered edge portion opposite from the first tapered edge portion, and wherein the second tapered edge portion has a fourth surface portion opposite a fifth surface portion, and wherein the aircraft structure further comprises:

a second wing spar having a sixth surface portion, wherein the second tapered edge portion of the wing rib at least approximately abuts the sixth surface portion of the second wing spar;

a third metallic joining member having a third base portion positioned adjacent to the sixth surface portion of the second wing spar, and a third upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the fourth surface portion of the wing rib, wherein at least a third distal end portion of the third upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a fourth metallic joining member having a fourth base portion positioned adjacent to the sixth surface portion of the second wing spar, and a fourth upstanding leg portion positioned adjacent to the fifth surface portion of the wing rib, wherein at least a fourth distal end portion of the fourth upstanding leg portion is tapered;

a third portion of adhesive forming a third structural bond between the third upstanding leg portion of the third metallic joining member and the fourth surface portion of the wing rib; and

a fourth portion of adhesive forming a fourth structural bond between the fourth upstanding leg portion of the fourth metallic joining member and the fifth surface portion of the wing rib.

11. An aircraft wing box structure comprising:

a front wing spar having a front spar web;

a rear wing spar having a rear spar web;

a plurality of wing ribs extending between the front wing spar and the rear wing spar, wherein each wing rib has a corresponding rib web constructed from composite materials, wherein each rib web has a tapered front portion and a tapered rear portion, and wherein each rib web is fixedly attached to the front and rear spar webs by;

a first metallic joining member having a first surface portion structurally bonded to the front spar web and a second surface portion structurally bonded to the tapered front portion of the rib web; and

a second metallic joining member having a third surface portion structurally bonded to the rear spar web and a fourth surface portion structurally bonded to the tapered rear portion of the rib web.

12. The aircraft wing box structure of claim 11 wherein the front and rear spar webs are generally flat, and wherein each of the front and rear spar webs has a tapered upper edge portion extending in a first direction and a tapered lower edge portion extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

13. The aircraft wing box structure of claim 11 wherein one side of each rib web is at least generally flat and the other side of each rib web is convex.

14. The aircraft wing box structure of claim 11 wherein each rib web includes a core portion sandwiched between a first face sheet and a second face sheet.

15. The aircraft wing box structure of claim 11 wherein the front spar web includes a first core portion sandwiched between a first face sheet and a second face sheet, and the rear spar web includes a second core portion sandwiched between a third face sheet and a fourth face sheet.

16. The aircraft wing box structure of claim 11 wherein each rib web is further fixedly attached to the front and rear spar webs by:

a third metallic joining member having a fifth surface portion structurally bonded to the front spar web and a sixth surface portion structurally bonded to the tapered front portion of the rib web; and

a fourth metallic joining member having a seventh surface portion structurally bonded to the rear spar web and a eighth surface portion structurally bonded to the tapered rear portion of the rib web.

17. An aircraft wing structure comprising:

a first wing spar;

a second wing spar;

a composite rib extending at least partially between the first and second wing spars, the composite rib having a front edge portion positioned proximate to the first wing spar and a rear edge portion positioned proximate to the second wing spar;

means for fixedly attaching the front edge portion of the composite rib to the first wing spar in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the first wing spar; and

means for means for fixedly attaching the rear edge portion of the composite rib to the second wing spar in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the second wing spar.

18. The aircraft wing structure of claim 17 wherein the front and rear edge portions of the composite wing rib are tapered, wherein the means for fixedly attaching the forward edge portion of the composite rib to the first wing spar includes means for receiving the tapered front edge portion, and wherein the means for fixedly attaching the rear edge portion of the composite rib to the second wing spar includes means for receiving the tapered rear edge portion.

19. The aircraft wing structure of claim 17 wherein the composite rib further includes an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, and wherein the aircraft wing structure further comprises:

a first composite skin panel covering at least a portion of the first wing spar and the second wing spar proximate to the upper edge portion of the composite rib;

a second composite skin panel covering at least a portion of the first wing spar and the second wing spar proximate to the lower edge portion of the composite rib;

means for fixedly attaching the upper edge portion of the composite rib to the first composite skin panel in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the composite rib; and

means for means for fixedly attaching the lower edge portion of the composite rib to the second composite skin panel in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the composite rib.

20. The aircraft wing structure of claim 17 wherein the composite rib further includes a core portion sandwiched between a first face sheet and a second face sheet, wherein the first and second face sheets are bonded together along the front edge portion of the composite wing rib to form a tapered front edge portion, wherein the first and second face sheets are bonded together along the rear edge portion of the composite wing rib to form a tapered rear edge portion, wherein the first and second face sheets are bonded together along an upper edge portion of the composite wing rib to form a tapered upper edge portion, wherein the first and second face sheets are bonded together along a lower edge portion of the composite wing rib to form a tapered lower edge portion, and wherein the aircraft wing structure further comprises:

a first composite skin panel covering at least a portion of the first wing spar and the second wing spar proximate to the tapered upper edge portion of the composite rib;

a second composite skin panel covering at least a portion of the first wing spar and the second wing spar proximate to the tapered lower edge portion of the composite rib;

means for fixedly attaching the tapered upper edge portion of the composite rib to the first composite skin panel in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the composite rib; and

means for means for fixedly attaching the tapered lower edge portion of the composite rib to the second composite skin panel in the absence of any structural fasteners extending through the composite rib.