AERODYNAMIC SEALING MEMBER FOR AIRCRAFT

• US 20090184208A1
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus UK Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: WEST, Colin John
• Granted Patent: US 9,004,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/35.R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/14 forming slots
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/104 characterised by structure
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/108 Special methods for making a non-metallic packing
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/322 supported in a direction perpendicular to the surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A sealing member for forming a seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising: a sealing material; and a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50° C. The stiffening element is relatively flexible when the aircraft is at low altitude (high temperature) but becomes relatively stiff (increasing resistance to seal flutter) when the aircraft is at cruise altitude (low temperature).

Claims

1. A sealing member for forming an aerodynamic seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising:

a sealing material; and

a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50°

C.

2. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening element comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +20°

C. and preferably below −

10°

C.

3. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening element comprises a material with a glass transition temperature above −

50°

C., preferably above −

40°

C. and most preferably above −

35°

C.

4. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the sealing material has a glass transition temperature which is lower than the glass transition temperature of the material forming the stiffening element.

5. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening material comprises a material which will stiffen to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to a decrease in temperature when the aircraft climbs from ground level to cruise altitude.

7. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening element will stiffen to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to a decrease in temperature from +50°

C. to −

50°

C., preferably from 0°

C. to −

40°

C. and most preferably from −

10°

C. to −

35°

C.

8. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the sealing material comprises an elastomeric material.

9. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening element comprises an elastomeric material.

10. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the stiffening element forms an external aerodynamic surface of the aerodynamic seal.

11. The sealing member of claim 1 wherein the sealing member forms a blade seal.

12. The sealing member of claim 11 wherein a relative amount of sealing material to stiffening element varies along the length of the blade seal.

13. An aircraft comprising first and second components;

and the sealing member of claim 1 forming an aerodynamic seal between the components.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 further comprising an actuator for moving the first component relative to the second component in order to adjust an aerodynamic property of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 wherein the first component comprises a flap track fairing and the second component comprises a wing structure.

16. A method of operating the aircraft of claim 13, the method comprising:

moving the first component relative to the second component in order to adjust an aerodynamic property of the aircraft;

climbing from ground level to cruise altitude; and

stiffening the stiffening element to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to a decrease in temperature when the aircraft climbs from ground level to cruise altitude.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising reducing the stiffness of the stiffening element to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to flexure of the sealing member.

18. A method of manufacturing the sealing member of claim 1, the method comprising:

compressing the sealing material and the stiffening element together; and

curing the sealing material and/or the stiffening element as they are compressed together.

6. A sealing member for forming an aerodynamic seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising:

a sealing material; and

a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and which will stiffen to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to a decrease in temperature when the aircraft climbs from ground level to cruise altitude.