STRUCTURAL COMPONENT WITH IMPROVED CONDUCTIVITY AND MECHANICAL STRENGTH, AND A METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE

• US 20110278395A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kruse, Thomas, Schulze, Wolfgang, Telgkamp, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 8,864,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/088 and with one or more layers of non-plastics material or non-specified material, e.g. supports
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/885 with incorporated metallic wires, nets, films or plates as lost heating elements B29C35/0272, B29C61/0625
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/061 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/064 Stringers; Longerons
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/02 Lightning protectors; Static dischargers in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A structural component includes a fiber composite material structure having an outer surface and an electrically conductive metal profile disposed on the outer surface of the fiber composite material structure. The metal profile provides provide improved electrical conductivity of the structural component and component protection.

Claims

1. :

A structural component comprising;

a fiber composite material structure having an outer surface; and

at least one electrically conductive metal profile disposed on the outer surface of the fiber composite material structure so as to provide improved electrical conductivity of the structural component and component protection.

2. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the structural component is configured for an aircraft structure.

3. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the metal profile includes a metal strip and is disposed directly and in a planar manner on the fiber composite material structure.

4. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one electrically insulating compensation layer having a lower modulus of elasticity than the at least one metal profile, the at least one electrically insulating compensation layer being disposed between the at least one metal profile and the outer surface.

5. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one metal profile is bonded to the fiber composite material structure after manufacture of the fiber composite material structure.

6. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one metal profile is cured with the fiber composite material structure.

7. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the structural component includes at least one of a frame and a stringer of an aeroplane fuselage structure.

8. :

The structural component recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one metal profile is disposed on at least one of an inner flange of the frame and an inner web of the stringer.

9. :

The structural component recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one metal profile encompasses at least a portion of an edge region of the at least one the an inner flange of the frame and the inner web of the stringer.

10. :

The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the structural component includes a frame and a stringer of an aeroplane fuselage structure, each of the frame and the stringer including a corresponding metal profile of the at least one metal profile, and

wherein the metal profile of the stringer is electrically conductively connected to the metal profile of the frame with a connecting element so as to form a network arrangement.

11. :

The structural component recited in claim 10, wherein the connecting element is a cable.

12. :

The structural component recited in claim 10, wherein each of the metal profile of the stringer and the metal profile of the frame have includes a connecting point configured for at least one of a corresponding connecting element an insulating element.

13. :

The structural component recited in claim 12, wherein the insulating element is an insulating mat.

14. :

A method of manufacturing a structural component, the method comprising;

forming a fiber composite material structure; and

applying a metal profile on an outer surface of the fiber composite material structure, the metal profile providing electrical conductivity and component protection of the structural component.

15. :

The method recited in claim 14, wherein the structural component is configured for an aircraft structure.

16. :

The method recited in claim 14, further comprising curing the fiber composite material structure,

wherein the metal profile is applied integrally to the outer surface of the fiber composite material before the curing of the fiber composite material structure.

17. :

The method recited in claim 14, further comprising curing the fiber composite material structure,

wherein the applying the metal profile includes bonding the metal profile to the cured fiber composite material structure.

18. :

The method recited in claim 14 further comprising disposing an electrically insulating compensation layer between the fiber composite material structure and the metal profile, the compensation layer having a lower modulus of elasticity than the metal profile.

19. :

The method recited in claim 18, further comprising curing the compensation layer and the fiber composite material structure, and wherein the applying the metal profile includes vulcanizing the metal profile on the cured compensation layer.