Structural component with improved conductivity and mechanical strength, and a method for its manufacture

• US 8,864,072 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Telgkamp, Jens, Schulze, Wolfgang, Kruse, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stehle, Jamie S
• Application Number:
  US13/105,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20110278395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 244/119, 244/121, 244/123.1, 244/132, 244/133, 244/129.7, 244/171.7
• 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 of an aircraft fuselage structure, the structural component comprising:

a fiber composite material structure designed as at least one of a frame or stringer comprising a web portion extending upwards relative to a skin of the aircraft, the fiber composite material structure being arranged on the skin of the aircraft fuselage and having an outer surface; and

at least one electrically conductive metal profile attached to 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 metal profile includes a metal strip and is disposed directly and in a planar manner on the fiber composite material structure.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

6. The structural component recited in claim 4, wherein the structural component includes the frame and the at least one metal profile is disposed on an inner flange of the frame.

7. The structural component recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one metal profile encompasses at least a portion of an edge region of the-inner flange of the frame.

8. The structural component recited in claim 1, wherein the structural component includes the frame and the stringer, 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.

9. The structural component recited in claim 8, wherein the connecting element is a cable.

10. The structural component recited in claim 8, wherein each of the metal profile of the stringer and the metal profile of the frame includes a connecting point configured for at least one of a corresponding connecting element and for an insulating element.

11. The structural component recited in claim 10, wherein the insulating element is an insulating mat.

12. The structural component recited in claim 4, wherein the structural component includes the stringer and the at least one metal profile is disposed on an inner web of the stringer.

13. The structural component recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one metal profile encompasses at least a portion of an edge region of the inner web of the stringer.