Energy absorbing impact band and method

• US 20080265095A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Firko, Jason L., Gabrys, Jonathan W., Lee, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/129.1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/244 Safety systems, e.g. when striking an object
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/062 specially adapted to absorb crash loads
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/065 Spars
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/205 for protecting blades, e.g. coating
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/473 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/185 Spars
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/28 Leading or trailing edges attached to primary structures, e.g. forming fixed slots
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/02 Tailplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/04 Noseplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 7/00 Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 7/00 Arrangements of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories, or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00; armaments or mountings therefor per se F41
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An energy absorbing apparatus and system for leading edge structures includes an impact member, such as a “bird-band”, of a plastically deformable material of a predetermined configuration positioned with the structure in an area of the leading edge of the structure to absorb energy of an impact of a projectile with the leading edge of the structure, and to redistribute the energy of the impact to the structure, and can break up the projectile, and can increase the impact area. The structure can have one or more sheet members, such as a single sheet, or an inner face sheet and an outer face sheet with a core positioned between the inner face sheet and the outer face sheet. One or more impact members of the plastically deformable material can be positioned with one or more of the single sheet, the inner face sheet, the outer face sheet or the core.

Claims

1. An energy absorbing apparatus, comprising:

an impact member of a plastically deformable material of a predetermined configuration, the impact member being positioned with a structure in an area of a leading edge of the structure to absorb energy of an impact of a projectile with the leading edge of the structure and to redistribute the energy of the impact to the structure.

2. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises a high strength/high strain material.

3. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises a stainless steel.

4. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the stainless steel comprises one or more of 301 ¼

hardened and 314 annealed stainless steels.

5. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the high strength/high strain material is a plastic type material.

6. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises Kevlar®

, an aluminum alloy, a nickel alloy, a titanium alloy, a steel alloy, or combinations thereof.

7. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the structure comprises one or more of a wing, a payload wing, a horizontal stabilizer or a vertical stabilizer of an aircraft.

8. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the structure comprises a propeller or a rotor blade.

9. The energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plastically deformable material assists in break up of the projectile upon impact and in increasing an impact area on the structure behind the leading edge.

10. An energy absorbing system, comprising:

a structure having a leading edge; and

an impact member of a plastically deformable material of a predetermined configuration, the impact member being positioned with the structure in an area of the leading edge of the structure to absorb energy of an impact of a projectile with the leading edge of the structure and to redistribute the energy of the impact to the structure.

11. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the structure comprises a wing, a payload wing, a horizontal stabilizer or a vertical stabilizer of an aircraft.

12. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the structure comprises a propeller or a rotor blade.

13. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises a stainless steel, a plastic type material, Kevlar®

, a nickel alloy, a titanium alloy, a steel alloy, an aluminum alloy, or combinations thereof.

14. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises a high strength/high strain material.

15. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises one or more of 301 ¼

hardened and 314 annealed stainless steels.

16. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the plastically deformable material assists in break up of the projectile upon impact and in increasing an impact area on the structure behind the leading edge.

17. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the structure comprises a single sheet of material, and

the impact member is associated with the single sheet of material.

18. The energy absorbing system according to claim 10, wherein:

the structure comprises an inner face sheet and an outer face sheet, with a core positioned between the inner face sheet and the outer face sheet.

19. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is positioned with an inner surface of the outer face sheet adjacent the core.

20. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is positioned with an inner surface of the outer face sheet, and

the core and the inner face sheet are not included within the apex of the area of the leading edge of the structure.

21. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is integrated with the outer face sheet, and

the core and the inner face sheet are not included within the apex of the area of the leading edge of the structure.

22. The energy absorbing system according to claim 21, wherein:

the outer face sheet comprises a laminate of a composite material.

23. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is integrated with one or more of the outer face sheet or the inner face sheet to provide one or more impact members of plastically deformable material.

24. The energy absorbing system according to claim 23, wherein:

at least one of the inner face sheet or the outer face sheet including the one or more impact members of the plastically deformable material comprises a laminate of a composite material.

25. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is positioned with an inner surface of the inner face sheet, and with an outer surface of the inner face sheet being positioned adjacent to the core.

26. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material is positioned with an outer surface of the inner face sheet adjacent to the core.

27. The energy absorbing system according to claim 18, wherein:

the impact member of plastically deformable material comprises a stainless steel, a plastic type material, Kevlar®

, an aluminum alloy, a nickel alloy, a titanium alloy, a steel alloy, or combinations thereof.

28. The energy absorbing system according to claim 27, wherein:

the inner face sheet and the outer face sheet comprise an aluminum alloy, fiberglass, a composite material, or combinations thereof, and

the core comprises an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, foam, Nomex®

, a lightweight material, or combinations thereof.

29. The energy absorbing system according to claim 28, wherein:

the core comprises a honeycomb type configuration.

30. An energy absorbing system, comprising:

a sheet means for forming a structure having a leading edge; and

a means for absorbing an impact positioned with the sheet means in an area of the leading edge of the structure to absorb energy of an impact of a projectile with the leading edge of the structure and to redistribute the energy of the impact to the structure.

31. The energy absorbing system according to claim 30, further comprising:

a stabilizing means for stabilizing the sheet means positioned with the sheet means.

32. The energy absorbing system according to claim 30, wherein:

the means for absorbing an impact comprises an impact member of plastically deformable material.

33. The energy absorbing system according to claim 32, wherein:

the plastically deformable material comprises a stainless steel, a plastic type material, Kevlar®

, an aluminum alloy, a nickel alloy, a titanium alloy, a steel alloy, or combinations thereof, and

the sheet means comprises an aluminum alloy, fiberglass, or a composite material, or combinations thereof.

34. The energy absorbing system according to claim 33, further comprising:

a stabilizing means for stabilizing the sheet means positioned with the sheet means.

35. The energy absorbing system according to claim 34, wherein:

the stabilizing means comprises an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, foam, Nomex®

, a lightweight material, or combinations thereof.

36. The energy absorbing system according to claim 35, wherein:

the sheet means comprises an inner face sheet and an outer face sheet, and

the stabilizing means comprises a core of a honeycomb type configuration positioned between the inner face sheet and the outer face sheet.

37. An energy absorbing method, comprising:

forming a structure having a leading edge; and

positioning an impact member of plastically deformable material with the structure in an area of the leading edge of the structure to absorb energy of an impact of a projectile with the leading edge of the structure and to redistribute the energy of the impact to the structure.

38. The energy absorbing method according to claim 37, wherein:

forming the structure comprises providing an inner face sheet and an outer face sheet, and positioning a core between the inner face sheet and the outer face sheet.

39. The energy absorbing method according to claim 38, wherein:

positioning the impact member of plastically deformable material comprises positioning one or more impact members of plastically deformable material with one or more of the inner face sheet, the outer face sheet, the core, or combinations thereof.

40. The energy absorbing method according to claim 39, further comprising:

forming the core as a honeycomb type structure.

41. The energy absorbing method according to claim 37, further comprising:

forming the structure to comprise a single sheet of material.

42. The energy absorbing method according to claim 37, further comprising:

integrating the impact member with one or more sheet members comprising the structure.