Aerodynamic sealing member for aircraft
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorColin John WEST
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sealing member for forming a seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising: a sealing material; and a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50° C. The stiffening element is relatively flexible when the aircraft is at low altitude (high temperature) but becomes relatively stiff (increasing resistance to seal flutter) when the aircraft is at cruise altitude (low temperature).
Claims18
1-18. (canceled)
An aircraft comprising first and second components;
- and a sealing member forming an aerodynamic seal between the first and the second components and is exposed to a flow of air over the aircraft during flight, the sealing member comprising:
- a sealing material;
- and
- a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and which will stiffen to a greater degree than the sealing material in response to a decrease in temperature when the aircraft climbs from ground level to cruise altitude, wherein the sealing member is secured to the first component and the sealing material is compressed against the second component to form the aerodynamic seal between the components.
An aircraft comprising first and second components;
- and a sealing member forming an aerodynamic seal between the components which is exposed to a flow of air over the aircraft during flight, the sealing member comprising:
- a sealing material;
- and
- a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50° C.,
- wherein the sealing member is secured to the first component and the sealing material is compressed against the second component to form the aerodynamic seal between the components.
A method of manufacturing the sealing member for forming an aerodynamic seal in an aircraft, the sealing member comprising:
- a sealing material;
- and
- a stiffening element which provides structural support to the sealing material and comprises a material with a glass transition temperature below +50° C., the method comprising:
- compressing the sealing material and the stiffening element together;
- and curing the sealing material and/or the stiffening element as they are compressed together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.