# US 9,517,832 B2 · Aircraft wing with wing tip device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,832 B2 - Document ID: US9517832B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/128,234 - Filed: 2012-04-23 - Published: 2014-05-01 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-21 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Huw Davies; Nigel McKenna - Inventors: Huw Davies; Nigel McKenna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517832B2 ## CPC - B64C 23/065: {at the wing tips} - B64C 3/00: Wings (ornithopter wings B64C33/02) - B64C 23/069: {using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips} - Y02T 50/10: Drag reduction - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An aircraft wing assembly including: a wing having a wing box structure with an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover, and a wing tip device attached to the outboard end of the wing, the wing tip device including an upper cover and a lower cover, wherein a gap between opposing edges of the wing tip device lower cover and the lower wing cover is at least 5 mm, a seal assembly aerodynamically seals the gap, wherein the seal assembly includes a bridging component on an interior side of the gap, and a seal which fills the gap and is supported by the bridging component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft wing assembly, comprising: a wing having a wing box structure including an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover; a wing tip device attached to the outboard end of the wing, wherein the wing tip device includes an upper cover and a lower cover; a gap of at least 5 mm between opposing edges of the lower cover of the wing tip device and the lower wing cover; a seal assembly configured to aerodynamically seal the gap, wherein the seal assembly includes a bridging component on an interior side of the gap and a seal, wherein the seal fills the gap and is supported by the bridging component; wherein the bridging component has a generally T-shaped profile and includes an upright flange abutting the edge of the wing tip device lower cover, an outboard flange abutting the interior surface of the wing tip device lower cover, and an inboard flange extending to contact the interior surface of the lower wing cover. ### Claim 2 An aircraft wing assembly, comprising: a wing having a wing box structure including an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover; a wing tip device attached to the outboard end of the wing, wherein the wing tip device includes an upper cover and a lower cover; a gap of at least 5 mm between opposing edges of the lower cover of the wing tip device and the lower wing cover; a seal assembly configured to aerodynamically sealing the gap, wherein the seal assembly includes a bridging component on an interior side of the gap and a seal which fills the gap and is supported by the bridging component, wherein the bridging component has an upright flange abutting the edge of the wing tip device lower cover, an outboard flange abutting an interior surface of the wing tip device lower cover, and an inboard flange extending to contact an interior surface of the lower wing cover, and wherein the upright flange, the outboard flange and the inboard flange are formed as a single component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the wing tip device lower cover, the lower wing cover and the seal provide a substantially flush aerodynamic surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the bridging component is attached to the wing tip device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the bridging component is substantially rigid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 5, wherein the bridging component includes rubber material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the bridging component has a generally T-shaped profile. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the seal includes a seal strip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 8, wherein the seal strip includes a profile which cooperates with a mating profile of the bridging member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2 wherein the seal consists of a curable sealant material only. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the wing tip device is attached to the outboard end of the wing by a joint, which includes a pinned lug joint. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the joint further includes a tension joint between abutting components. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 12, wherein, within the joint, the tension joint is disposed nearest the upper wing cover and the pinned lug joint is disposed nearest the lower wing cover. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the wing tip device includes an essentially planar winglet and a curved transition region arranged between the wing and the winglet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the transition region has a curvature of increasing local dihedral in the outboard direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The aircraft wing assembly according to claim 2, wherein the wing tip device is removable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The aircraft including the wing assembly of claim 2. ### Claim 18 A method of attaching a wing tip device to the outboard end of an aircraft wing, the wing having a wing box structure including an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover, and the wing tip device having an upper cover and a lower cover, the method comprising: bringing the wing tip device and the wing together; joining the wing tip device to the outboard end of the wing, wherein a gap between opposing edges of the wing tip device lower cover and the lower wing cover is at least 5 mm at completion of the joint; and installing a seal assembly to aerodynamically seal the gap, wherein the seal assembly includes a bridging portion arranged to extend across an interior side of the gap to bridge the gap and a seal portion projecting from the bridging portion to fill the gap, wherein the bridging portion comprises an inboard flange which abuts an interior surface of the lower wing cover, and an outboard flange which abuts an interior surface of the wing tip lower cover, and wherein the seal portion abuts the edge of the wing tip device lower cover, and the bridging portion and the seal portion are formed as a single component. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of installing the seal assembly includes sliding the seal assembly along the gap with the bridging component at the interior side of the gap and the seal portion within the gap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the seal assembly includes a reinforcing component fixed to the seal portion and arranged to extend across an exterior side of the gap to retain the seal portion within the gap, and the step of installing the seal assembly includes sliding the seal assembly along the gap with the bridging component at the interior side of the gap, the seal portion within the gap and the reinforcing component at the exterior side of the gap. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of joining the wing tip device to the outboard end of the wing includes forming a pinned lug joint. ### Claim 22 A method of attaching a wing tip device to the outboard end of an aircraft wing, the wing having a wing box structure including an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover, and the wing tip device having an upper cover and a lower cover, the method comprising: bringing the wing tip device and the wing together; joining the wing tip device to the outboard end of the wing, wherein a gap between opposing edges of the wing tip device lower cover and the lower wing cover is at least 5 mm at completion of the joint; and installing a seal assembly for aerodynamically sealing the gap, wherein the seal assembly includes a bridging component on an interior side of the gap, and a seal which fills the gap and is supported by the bridging component, wherein the bridging component has an upright flange abutting the edge of the wing tip device lower cover, an outboard flange abutting an interior surface of the wing tip device lower cover, and an inboard flange extending to contact an interior surface of the lower wing cover, and wherein the upright flange, the outboard flange and the inboard flange are formed as a single component.