US 11,447,230 B2 · Aircraft fuel tank access panel assemblies

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for aircraft wings, including fuel tank access panel assemblies, are disclosed. For example, an aircraft wing comprises a skin and a load bearing fuel tank access panel assembly fastened to the skin. The skin comprises a fuel tank access panel hole and a first fastener hole. The load bearing fuel tank access panel is configured to bear at least some of a wing bending load and comprises an access panel, a fastener, and a self-locking fastener mating assembly. The access panel comprises a body portion configured to be received in the fuel tank access panel hole, and a lip portion extending over an interior surface of the skin. The lip portion comprises a second fastener hole, and the fastener extends through the first fastener hole and the second fastener hole into the self-locking fastener mating assembly.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An access panel assembly for an aircraft wing, the access panel assembly comprising:

an access panel comprising a hole configured to receive a fastener;
and
a self-locking fastener mating assembly comprising:
a cap assembly comprising:
a nut comprising internal nut threads that mate with the fastener;
and
an external cap that at least partially surrounds the nut, wherein the external cap comprises an internal locking structure that restricts rotation of the nut relative to the external cap, and wherein the external cap further comprises internal cap threads of an opposite handedness as the internal nut threads of the nut;
and
a washer fixedly coupled to the access panel, the washer comprising external washer threads that mate with the internal cap threads of the external cap.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aircraft fuel tank access panel assemblies

Life of this patent

Aircraft fuel tank access panel assemblies

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20