Open-channel stiffener
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsLyle R. Deobald, Matthew A. Dilligan, Aaron N. Rinn, Madhavadas Ramnath
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Abstract
An open-channel stiffener for stiffening a panel has a bonding flange for bonding the stiffener to the panel through a bondline formed between the bonding flange and the panel to form a stiffened panel. The open-channel stiffener has a cross-sectional shape that aligns, or substantially aligns, a shear center of the stiffener with a centroid of the stiffener and aligns the shear center proximate an edge of the bondline, and removes the need for a radius filler noodle. A plurality of perforations may be formed through the bonding flange to permit an adhesive to wick into the perforations and create a mechanical interlock between the bonding flange and the panel.
Claims20
An open-channel stiffener for stiffening a panel, the open-channel stiffener comprising a bonding flange for bonding the stiffener to the panel through a bondline formed between the bonding flange and the panel, the stiffener having a cross-sectional shape configured to substantially align a shear center of the stiffener with a centroid of the stiffener and to align the shear center proximate an edge of the bondline.
A stiffened panel comprising an open-channel stiffener bonded to a panel, the open-channel stiffener comprising a bonding flange for bonding the stiffener to the panel through a bondline formed between the bonding flange and the panel, the stiffener having a cross-sectional shape configured to align a shear center of the stiffener with a centroid of the stiffener and to align the shear center proximate an edge of the bondline.
A method of stiffening a panel, comprising the steps of:
- forming an open-channel stiffener with a cross-sectional shape having a bonding flange for bonding the stiffener to the panel through a bondline formed between the bonding flange and the panel, and configuring the cross-sectional shape to align a shear center of the stiffener with a centroid of the stiffener and to align the shear center proximate an edge of the bondline;
- and
- bonding the bonding flange of the stiffener to the panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.