Monolithic self-stiffened panels

• US 8,083,182 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Cacciaguerra, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US11/996,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 244/102.R, 244/119, 244/123.1, 244/123.2, 244/123.3, 244/123.4, 244/129.4, 244/129.5, 244/133
• US Class Current: 244/129.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0081 from metallic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/16 Fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A composite panel having a first skin forming the outer wall of the panel, known as the lower face (1), and a second skin forming part of the inner wall of the panel. The second skin is formed hollow such as to produce an inner reinforcing frame (2) in the form of a half-box structure (3) which, together with the first skin, forms box parts. The aforementioned frame is equipped with a rim (4a, 4b) for fixing to the first skin, a face known as the upper face (5) and connecting side walls (6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 7) between the rim (4a, 4b) and the upper face (5) the first and second skins forming a monolithic self-stiffened panel. The half-box frame (2) has perforated sections (8) which are defined by hollow beam sections forming the half-box frame (2).

Claims

1. A composite panel comprising a first skin forming an outer wall of the panel, and a bottom face of said panel, and a second skin forming part of an inner wall of the panel, wherein the second skin is formed hollow to constitute an inner reinforcing frame forming at least one hollow-profile stiffener, this being provided with flanged edges for fixing to the first skin, with a face, forming a top face of said panel with connecting flanks between said edges and said top face, the frame of the second skin together with the first skin providing a monolithic self-stiffened panel and wherein the inner reinforcing frame produces a plurality of hollow-profile stiffeners distributed over a circumference of the panel, the frame including cutouts delimited by beam portions made by said hollow profile stiffeners.

2. The composite panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is formed through a stamping process of the second skin.

3. The composite panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the skins are made of thermoplastic-matrix composite materials.

4. The composite panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite panel comprises connecting elements comprising connecting fittings in the form of an inner counter-fitting and an outer fitting.

5. The composite panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner counter-fitting comprises a generally U-shaped profile, whereof a first side branch rests against the inner face of the first skin, the center branch rests against a flank of the stiffener, and the second side branch rests against the inner wall of the top face of the stiffener forming the inner wall of the panel.

6. The composite panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer fitting bears upon an inner flange of the panel constituted by the inner face of the first skin and the outer face of one of the connecting flanks.

7. The composite panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the counter-fitting and the outer fitting are fixed together through the connecting flank.

8. The composite panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein a plurality of fittings are joined together to constitute a reinforcing insert disposed in the beam of the frame facing a receiving zone for the connecting fitting elements.

9. The composite panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one connecting flank orientated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the connecting fittings constitutes an inclined surface of progressive transition between the outer skin and the top face such as to constitute an aerodynamic profile.

10. A composite panel comprising a first skin forming an outer wall of the panel and a bottom face of the panel, and a second skin forming part of an inner wall of the panel, wherein the second skin is formed hollow to constitute an inner reinforcing frame forming at least one hollow-profile stiffener, this being provided with flanged edges for fixing to the first skin, with a top face forming a top face of the panel, with connecting flanks between said edges and said top face, the frame producing with the first skin a monolithic self-stiffened panel wherein said composite panel comprises connecting elements including connecting fittings in the form of an inner counter-fitting and an outer fitting.

11. The composite panel according to claim 10, wherein the frame is formed through a stamping process of the second skin.

12. The composite panel according to claim 11, wherein the inner reinforcing frame produces a plurality of hollow-profile stiffeners distributed over a circumference of the panel.

13. The composite panel according to claim 11, wherein the inner reinforcing frame produces a plurality of hollow-profile stiffeners distributed over the circumference of the panel and wherein the frame comprises cutouts delimited by box beam portions.

14. The composite panel according to claim 10, wherein the inner reinforcing frame produces a plurality of hollow-profile stiffeners distributed over a circumference of the panel and wherein the frame comprises cutouts delimited by box beam portions.