Structural component comprising at least one main-load-bearing covering shell and a carrier structure for fixing the main-load-bearing covering shell, and flow body comprising such a structural component

• US 9,371,128 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Zuardy, Ichwan, Zahlen, Pierre, Herrmann, Axel Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Austin, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saberi, Jasper
• Application Number:
  US13/742,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20140050884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 428/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0021 provided with plain or filled structures, e.g. cores, placed between two or more plates or sheets, e.g. in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0214 Materials belonging to B32B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/04 Inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/045 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/102 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/54 Yield strength; Tensile strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/5825 Tear resistant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2607/00 Walls, panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/28 characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet , i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane, e.g. corrugated, crumpled B32B29/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 : Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/08 : Detecting presence of flaws or irregularities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 : Complete cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 : Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249923 : Including interlaminar mechanical fastener

Abstract

Structural component including at least one covering shell and a carrier structure, the covering shell designed in the form of a sandwich and formed by an inner skin section, an outer skin section and a shear-load absorbing core layer disposed between the two sections and connecting the inner and the outer skin sections to one another in a planar manner. The carrier structure is formed by at least one panel-shaped connecting part extending between and transversely to the inner and outer skin sections and connected along a reference longitudinal direction to the covering shell. The connecting part is located outside the carrier structure and fastened to the inner skin section resting thereon in a planar manner, wherein at least one profiled support extending along the reference longitudinal direction is provided in the covering shell in order to form a reinforcing section in the connecting region of the panel-shaped connecting part.

Claims

1. A structural component comprising:

at least one main-load bearing skin shell formed as a sandwich from an inner skin section, an outer skin section, and a core layer which is disposed therebetween and which connects the inner and the outer skin section in a laminar manner; and

a support structure for fixing the skin shell, wherein the support structure is formed of a first portion consisting of at least two support components and a second portion consisting of a plate-shaped connection piece which extends between and across the support components and is connected with the skin shell along a reference longitudinal direction;

wherein the plate-shaped connection piece is disposed at the support structure outside the support components for supporting the skin shell and connected to the inner skin section adjacent to the inner skin section,

wherein the plate-shaped connection piece comprises a connecting region of the inner skin section of the skin shell that covers the plate-shaped connection piece of the support structure, in which a plurality of reinforcement components are integrated along the reference longitudinal direction and extend through the core layer in a thickness direction of the core layer;

wherein in the skin shell at least one profile carrier is disposed which extends along the reference longitudinal direction for forming a reinforcement section in the connecting region of the plate-shaped connection piece;

wherein the at least one profile carrier is connected to the inner skin section and outer skin section for stabilization of the skin shell in case of damage of the skin shell and which thereby supports the inner skin section and outer skin section with regard to each other from the outside;

wherein the plurality of reinforcement components are exclusively provided in the connecting region and in an intermediate region of the skin shell, the intermediate region being disposed outside of the connecting region and extending in an area from an edge of the lateral end of the connecting region of the skin shell to a distance of a maximum of ten times a thickness of the skin shell; and

wherein each of the plurality of reinforcement components at least in part comprises one of a pin-shaped design or a needle-shaped design.

2. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the reinforcement components are disposed in the core layer such that the inner ends thereof at least partially penetrate at least the inner skin section and/or the outer skin section, wherein the inner skin section and the outer skin section each comprise

several layers and at least a part of the reinforcement components penetrate at least a first layer.

3. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises:

at least one rib arrangement which extends between and across the support components and is connected with the skin shell along the reference longitudinal direction for supporting the skin shell to the support structure in a laminar manner, the plate-shaped connection piece which extends in the longitudinal direction of the rib arrangement and which is formed as a flange component, connected with the connecting region of the inner skin section of the skin shell; and

a rib which follows on from the flange component and protrudes from the skin shell in a reference longitudinal direction of the rib arrangement.

4. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped connection piece for connecting the same with the skin shell is in a laminar manner bonded to the inner skin section due to an adhesive or is connected thereto by fasteners.

5. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement components are integrated in the intermediate region of the skin shell along the reference longitudinal direction.

6. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein several of the reinforcement components are disposed beside each other in an area across a longitudinal direction of a rib arrangement, and several of the reinforcement components are disposed along reinforcement profiles and along the longitudinal direction of the rib arrangement.

7. The structural component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one reinforcement profile carrier, which is formed of two profile plates and a support rib that connects the aforesaid, wherein one of the profile plates is connected to the inner skin section and the respective other one of the profile plates is connected to the outer skin section, such that a profile cross section of the reinforcement profile carrier is a double-T profile cross section.

8. The structural component according to claim 7, wherein at edge portions which define the connecting region, two of the reinforcement profile carriers are disposed side by side, between which the reinforcement components are inserted in the core layer.

9. The structural component according to claim 8, wherein the reinforcement components are inserted such that ends of a respective one of the reinforcement components at least partially penetrate the profile plate being disposed at the inner skin section and the profile plate being disposed at the outer skin section, the profile plates being part of the reinforcement profile carriers which lay side by side to each other.

10. The structural component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one reinforcement profile carrier, which is formed of two profile plates and two support ribs, wherein one of the two profile plates is connected to the inner skin section and the other one of the two profile plates is connected to the outer skin section, such that a profile cross section of the reinforcement profile carrier is a box-shaped profile cross section.

11. The structural component according to claim 10, wherein the reinforcement components are inserted such that ends of a respective one of the reinforcement components at least partially penetrate the profile plate being disposed at the inner skin section and the profile plate being disposed at the outer skin section, the profile plates being part of the same reinforcement profile carrier.

12. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein along at least one reinforcement profile carrier in a longitudinal direction of a rib arrangement several of the reinforcement components are integrated which project through at least 85% of the core layer in the thickness direction of the core layer in order to improve crack resistance of the skin shell in an outer edge section.

13. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement components are arranged into groups in a volume component of the skin shell, wherein each volume component is arranged one behind the other along a longitudinal direction of a rib, and wherein each volume component comprises a combination of at least two of the reinforcement components whose alignments each deviate by a maximum of 30 degrees from a thickness direction of the skin shell, and which are arranged in a regular or irregular manner around a centre axis of the volume component.

14. The structural component according to claim 13, wherein the reinforcement components are arranged into pairs that comprise X-shaped orientations when viewed in a direction of a longitudinal extension of an outer edge section of the skin shell.

15. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the longitudinal direction of the respective reinforcement component and a thickness direction of the skin shell at this position is within a range of between 45 degrees and 10 degrees.

16. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement components at least in part comprise the pin-shaped design.

17. The structural component according to claim 16, wherein one end of each of the reinforcement components comprises a foot-like widened part.

18. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement components comprise the needle-shaped design.

19. The structural component according to claim 1, wherein the core layer comprises a reinforcement region which extends in a first intermediate region lying along a longitudinal direction of a rib arrangement and across a longitudinal direction of the connecting region of the core layer, wherein the reinforcement region comprises a material that provides at least twice a stiffness of the core layer.

20. The structural component according to claim 19, wherein the core-layer reinforcement region comprises resin.

21. The structural component according to claim 19, wherein several of the reinforcement components at least in part project through the reinforcement region.

22. A flow body with a structural component with a main-load bearing skin shell according to claim 1, wherein the main-load bearing skin shell comprises a skin of the flow body.