Multipiece ribs for aircraft wing
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael L. Gilbertson, Stephen P. Watkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wing assembly includes an upper wing skin, a lower wing skin, and ribs extending between an upstream spar and a downstream spar with the upper wing skin and the lower wing skin at least partially enclosing the ribs. Each of the ribs includes a first rib portion having an upper wing skin engagement surface and a first rib engagement surface located on an opposite side of the first rib portion for the upper wing skin engagement surface and a second rib portion having a lower wing skin engagement surface and a second rib engagement surface. The second rib engagement surface on the second rib portion is secured to the first rib engagement surface on the first rib portion with rib fasteners.
Claims17
A system comprising:
- a single unitary rib structure that is mechanically separated along a separation rib to form a first rib portion and a second rib portion which corresponds to the first rib portion;
- and
- a wing assembly, comprising:
- an upper wing skin;
- a lower wing skin;
- a plurality of ribs extending between an upstream spar and a downstream spar with the upper wing skin and the lower wing skin at least partially enclosing the plurality of ribs, wherein the plurality of ribs include:
- the first rib portion having an upper wing skin engagement surface and a first rib engagement surface located on an opposite side of the first rib portion for the upper wing skin engagement surface;
- and
- the second rib portion that is separate and distinct from the first rib portion, wherein the second rib portion is secured to the first rib portion, wherein the second rib portion has a lower wing skin engagement surface and a second rib engagement surface, wherein the second rib engagement surface on the second rib portion is secured to the first rib engagement surface on the first rib portion with a plurality of rib fasteners.
A system comprising:
- a single unitary rib structure that is mechanically separated along a separation rib to form a first rib portion and a second rib portion which corresponds to the first portion;
- and
- an airplane, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a pair of wings extending from the fuselage, wherein each of the pair of wings include:
- an upper wing skin;
- a lower wing skin;
- a plurality of ribs extending between an upstream spar and a downstream spar with the upper wing skin and the lower wing skin at least partially enclosing the plurality of ribs, wherein the plurality of ribs include:
- the first rib portion having an upper wing skin engagement surface and a first rib engagement surface located on an opposite side of the first rib portion for the upper wing skin engagement surface;
- and
- the second rib portion that is separate and distinct from the first rib portion, wherein the second rib portion is secured to the first rib portion, wherein the second rib portion has a lower wing skin engagement surface and a second rib engagement surface, wherein the second rib engagement surface on the second rib portion is secured to the first rib engagement surface on the first rib portion with a plurality of rib fasteners.
A method of assembling a wing assembly, the method comprising:
- mechanically separating a single unitary rib structure along a separation rib to form first rib portions and second rib portions;
- securing the first rib portions to an upstream spar and a downstream spar;
- securing an upper wing skin to an upper skin engagement surface on each of the first rib portions, the upstream spar, and the downstream spar;
- securing a lower wing skin to a lower skin engagement surface on each of the second rib portions;
- securing a first rib engagement surface on each of the plurality of first rib portions to a corresponding second rib engagement surface on each of the plurality of second rib portions;
- and
- securing the first rib portions to the second rib portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.