# US 8,540,190 B2 · Connecting arrangement comprising a coupling element and two curved ribs of an aircraft or spacecraft

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- Number: US 8,540,190 B2
- Document ID: US8540190B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/597,027
- Filed: 2008-05-02
- Published: 2010-06-17
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-04
- Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH
- Applicants: Carsten Paul; Marc Schimmler
- Inventors: Carsten Paul; Marc Schimmler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540190B2

## CPC

- B64C 1/061: {Frames}
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS

## Abstract

A connecting device having two curved ribs of an aircraft or spacecraft, with: a coupling element which can be connected by means of predetermined coupling sections to respective connecting sections of the two ribs; wherein at least the predetermined coupling sections of the coupling element are rectilinearly designed; and wherein at least the respective connecting sections of the two ribs each have rectilinearly running inner belt regions for a respective rectilinear connection of the predetermined coupling sections of the coupling element.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A connecting arrangement comprising a coupling element and two curved ribs of an aircraft or spacecraft, the curved ribs comprising respective inner belts and outer belts, the coupling element being connectable by means of predetermined coupling sections to respective connecting sections of the two ribs, the respective outer belts, in the region of the respective connecting sections, having a curvature corresponding to a curvature of an outer skin of the aircraft or spacecraft, and abutting on the outer skin of the aircraft or spacecraft, wherein at least the respective connecting sections of the two ribs each have inner belt regions running rectilinearly in a longitudinal direction of said ribs for a respective rectilinear connection of the predetermined coupling sections of the coupling element; and wherein at least the predetermined coupling sections of the coupling element are rectilinearly formed in a longitudinal direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rectilinearly designed coupling sections of the coupling element have surfaces which run essentially perpendicularly to each other or at an angle to each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling element is formed from sections of an extruded profile that have been cut to length and/or machined.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling element is designed as a milled part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a transition of each of the rectilinearly running inner belt regions of the connecting sections into the contour of the respective inner belt with an inner radius has a transition radius.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 5, wherein in the case of curved ribs to be connected, which have respective inner belts with inner radii of different sizes, the respective rectilinearly running inner belt regions of the connecting sections form sections of a tangent of the larger arc section of arc sections with the inner radii of the inner belts, and wherein the tangent runs at an angle to a perpendicular, which runs approximately in the centre of the connecting sections perpendicularly through the outer skin of the aircraft or spacecraft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 5, wherein in the case of curved ribs to be connected, which have respective inner belts with inner radii of the same size, the respective rectilinearly running inner belt regions of the connecting sections form sections of a tangent of an arc section with a connecting radius which is smaller by a predetermined value than the value of the inner radii, and wherein this tangent runs at right angles to a perpendicular which runs in the centre of the connecting sections perpendicularly through an outer skin of the aircraft or space vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The connecting arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the value is of the same size in all connecting arrangements for connecting curved ribs present in an aircraft or spacecraft.