Blade seal for an aircraft

• US 5,913,494 A
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mcdonnell Douglas
• Original Assignee: Mcdonnell Douglas
• Inventors: Burbridge, Thomas Edward, Tomko, Harvey John, Wille, Robert Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wesson, Theresa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/900,634
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 244/213, 244/214, 244/215, 244/219, 244/130, 277/651, 277/652, 277/644, 277/640
• US Class Current: 244/213
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/02 Mounting or supporting thereof

Abstract

A blade seal (20) for an aircraft has a mounting structure (22). A composite blade (26) is attached to the mounting structure (22). The composite blade (26) has a plurality of holes (28). An elastomer substance (30) is used to fill the plurality of holes (28).

Claims

1. A blade seal for an aircraft comprising:

a mounting structure;

a composite blade attached to the mounting structure, the composite blade having a plurality of holes; and

an elastomer substance filling the plurality of holes.

2. The blade seal of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure is made from a composite.

3. The blade seal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are strips.

4. The blade seal of claim 3, wherein the strips run perpendicular to the mounting structure.

5. The blade seal of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure is attached to the aircraft adjacent to a control surface.

6. The blade seal of claim 1, wherein the composite blade had a wedge shape.

7. The blade seal of claim 6, wherein a thick edge of the wedge shape is adjacent to the mounting structure.

8. The blade seal of claim 7, further including an orifice extending from a thin edge to one of the plurality of holes.

9. The blade seal of claim 1, further including a stretchable covering encasing the composite blade.

10. The blade seal of claim 1, wherein the elastomer substance encases the composite blade.

11. A blade seal for an aircraft, comprising:

an attachment structure;

a flexible wedge blade extending from the attachment structure, the flexible wedge blade having a plurality of gaps; and

an elastomer material covering the flexible wedge blade.

12. The blade seal of claim 11, further including a stretchable covering encasing the elastomer material.

13. The blade seal of claim 11, further including a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots extending from a tip of the flexible wedge blade to each of the plurality of gaps.

14. The blade seal of claim 11, wherein the flexible wedge blade is made from a composite.

15. A blade seal for an aircraft, comprising:

a mounting structure;

a flexible webbed blade extending from the mounting structure; and

an elastomer substance covering the flexible webbed blade.

16. The blade seal of claim 15, further including a flexible covering over the elastomer substance.

17. The blade seal of claim 15, further including a slot extending into a tip of the flexible webbed blade.