Arched horizontal pressure deck to rear spar gutter
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark R. McLaughlin, David H. Leibov, Soma Gopala Rao Paravata, Alfons Menanno, Danilo Vukosav
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An arched gutter that can be used to channel moisture within an aircraft can include an arched web including a plurality of laterally spaced arches. The plurality of arches impart a flexibility to the arched gutter such that the arched gutter has an increased resistance to fatigue cracking and other wear and damage resulting from, for example, parasitic loads due to high bending strains that are transferred to the arched gutter by a wing to which the arched gutter is attached during operation of the aircraft. An aircraft section and an aircraft including the arched gutter are also described.
Claims21
An arched gutter for an aircraft, the arched gutter comprising:
- a first edge;
- a lip at least partially defined by the first edge;
- a second edge opposite the first edge;
- an arched web at least partially defined by the second edge, the arched web comprising a plurality of laterally spaced arches;
- and
- a trough positioned between the first edge and the second edge, wherein the lip has a substantially flat surface between the first edge and the trough.
An aircraft assembly, comprising:
- an upper wing panel comprising a surface;
- an aft wheel well bulkhead;
- a pressure deck connected to the upper wing panel and the aft wheel well bulkhead;
- and
- an arched gutter, comprising:
- a first edge;
- a lip at least partially defined by the first edge, wherein the lip is attached to the surface of the upper wing panel;
- a second edge opposite the first edge;
- an arched web at least partially defined by the second edge and attached to the pressure deck, the arched web comprising a plurality of laterally spaced arches;
- and
- a trough positioned between the first edge and the second edge.
An aircraft, comprising:
- a first wing and a second wing;
- an upper wing panel comprising a surface and extending between the first wing and the second wing;
- an aft wheel well bulkhead;
- a pressure deck connected to the upper wing panel and the aft wheel well bulkhead;
- a rear spar connected to the upper wing panel, wherein the rear spar, the aft wheel well bulkhead, and the pressure deck define, at least in part, a wheel well of the aircraft;
- an arched gutter extending between the first wing and the second wing, the arched gutter comprising:
- a first edge;
- a lip at least partially defined by the first edge, wherein the lip is attached to the surface of the upper wing panel;
- a second edge opposite the first edge;
- an arched web at least partially defined by the second edge and attached to the pressure deck, the arched web comprising a plurality of laterally spaced arches;
- and
- a trough positioned between the first edge and the second edge;
- and
- a drain tube in fluid communication with a moisture source, the arched gutter, and the wheel well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.