# US 2014/0151506 A1 · Highly integrated structure including leading and trailing edge ribs for an aircraft lifting surface

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- Number: US 2014/0151506 A1
- Document ID: US20140151506A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/086,424
- Filed: 2013-11-21
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-22
- Assignees: Airbus Operations S.L.
- Applicants: Airbus Operations S.L.
- Inventors: Enrique GUINALDO FERNANDEZ; Francisco CRUZ DOMINGUEZ; Francisco Javier HONORATO RUIZ; Paula MÁS MÁS; Iker VÉLEZ DE MENDIZÁBAL ALONSO; Carlos GARCIA NIETO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151506A1

## CPC

- B29C 70/302: {Details of the edges of fibre composites, e.g. edge finishing or means to avoid delamination}
- B29C 35/0238: {Presses provided with pressure vessels, e.g. steam chambers}
- B29D 99/0014: {provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs}
- B64C 3/182: {Stringers, longerons}
- B64C 3/185: {Spars}
- B64C 3/187: {Ribs}
- B64C 3/20: Integral or sandwich constructions
- B64C 5/02: Tailplanes
- B29L 2031/3085: {Wings}
- Y02T 50/40: Weight reduction
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

The invention provides an aircraft lifting surface with a monolithic main supporting structure (14) of a composite material comprising an upper skin (21) including at least a part of the upper aerodynamic profile of the leading edge (11) and/or of the trailing edge (15), a lower skin, a front spar (18), a rear spar (20), a plurality of leading edge ribs and/or a plurality of trailing edge ribs. This main supporting structure allows a weight and cost reduction of aircraft lifting surfaces. The invention also provides a manufacturing method of said monolithic main supporting structure (14).

## Claims

### Claim 1

Aircraft lifting surface comprising a main supporting structure (14) and leading and trailing edges (11, 15); the main supporting structure (14) comprising an upper skin (21), a lower skin (23), a front spar (18) and a rear spar (20) of a composite material, characterized in that:
the main supporting structure (14) also comprises a plurality of leading edge ribs and/or a plurality of trailing edge ribs of a composite material;
the upper skin (21) includes at least a part of the upper aerodynamic profile of the leading edge (11) and/or of the trailing edge (15);
the main supporting structure (14) is a monolithic structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 1, wherein the lower skin (23) includes at least a part of the lower aerodynamic profile of the leading edge (11) and/or of the trailing edge (15).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 2, wherein said part of the lower aerodynamic profile of the leading edge (11) and/or of the trailing edge (15) is joined to the rest of the lower skin (23) by means of hinges.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 1, wherein:
said leading edge ribs comprise one or more first leading edge ribs (22) extended inside the leading edge (11) and/or one or more second leading edge ribs (24) extended inside a region of the leading edge (11) covered by the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (23);
said trailing edge ribs comprise one or more first trailing edge ribs (25) extended the inside the leading edge (11) and/or one or more second trailing edge ribs (26) extended inside a region of the trailing edge (15) covered by the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (23).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 1, wherein the main supporting structure (14) also comprises one or more intermediate spars (19, 19′).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 1, wherein said first leading edge ribs (22), first trailing edge ribs (25), second leading edge ribs (24) and second trailing edge ribs (26) are configured by a web (27), two flanges (28, 28′) and a lateral wall (29) in their ends joined to a front or a rear spar (18, 20); the lateral wall (29) having the same height than the web (27) and the same width than the flanges (28, 28′).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Aircraft lifting surface according to claim 1, wherein the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (23) comprise at least one longitudinal stringer (32, 34) in at least one of the cells of the main supporting structure (14) delimited by two spars.

### Claim 8

Method of manufacturing a main supporting structure (14) of an aircraft lifting surface comprising an upper skin (21), a lower skin (23), a front spar (18), a rear spar (20), a plurality of leading edge ribs and/or a plurality of trailing edge ribs;
the upper skin (21) including part of the aerodynamic profile of the leading edge (11) and/or of the trailing edge (15); the method comprising the following steps:
a) providing a set of laminated preforms of a composite material for forming said main supporting structure (14), each laminated preform being configured to form a part of it;
b) arranging said laminated preforms in a curing assembly (40) comprising a first set of tools for forming the closed part of the main supporting structure (14) and a second set of tools for forming the open part of the main supporting structure (14);
c) subjecting the curing assembly (40) to an autoclave cycle to co-cure said laminated preforms;
d) demoulding the first set of tools in a spanwise direction and the second set of tools in a chordwise direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

Method according to claim 8, wherein said set of laminated preforms comprises:
a) a subset of laminated preforms having a double C-shaped transversal section or a subset of laminated preforms having a C-shaped transversal section to form the inside of the closed part of the main supporting structure (14);
b) a subset of laminated preforms having a C-shaped transversal section or single laminated preforms having a C-shaped transversal section to form the inside of the open part of the main supporting structure (14) together with a subset of laminated preforms (35, 37) having a C-shaped transversal section and a lateral wall to form the leading and trailing edge ribs;
c) two laminated preforms to form the outer part of the upper and lower skins (21, 23).

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

Method according to wherein claim 8, wherein said second set of tools comprises one tool for each inner space of an open part of the curing assembly (40).

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

Method according to claim 8, wherein said second set of tools comprise three tools for each inner space of an open part of the curing assembly (40).

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

Method according to claim 8, wherein:
said leading edge ribs comprise one or more first leading edge ribs (22) extended inside the leading edge (11) and/or one or more second leading edge ribs (24) extended inside a region of the leading edge (11) covered by the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (23);
said trailing edge ribs comprise one or more first trailing edge ribs (25) extended the inside the leading edge (11) and/or one or more second trailing edge ribs (26) extended inside a region of the trailing edge (15) covered by the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (23).