Composite rib for an aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJames P. Dobberfuhl, Matt D. Uhlman, William J. Moon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rib is disclosed for use in a torque box of a wing structure provided on an aircraft. The wing structure has a skin panel and a stringer coupled to the skin panel. The rib includes a web defining at least one stringer hole sized to receive the stringer, a shear tie coupled to the web and configured to engage the skin panel, and a clip positioned adjacent the at least one stringer hole. The clip has a base coupled to and aligned with the web, a head extending at an angle relative to the base and configured to engage the stringer, and a transition portion extending between the base and the head.
Claims20
A rib for a wing structure of an aircraft, the wing structure including a skin panel and a stringer coupled to the skin panel, the rib comprising:
- a web defining at least one stringer hole sized to receive the stringer;
- a shear tie coupled to the web;
- the shear tie configured to engage the skin panel at an upper portion of the stringer hole;
- and
- a clip positioned adjacent the at least one stringer hole, the clip defining a bottom portion of the stringer hole;
- the clip having a base coupled to and aligned with the web, a head extending at an angle relative to the base and configured to engage the stringer, and a transition portion extending between the base and the head;
- wherein the stringer has a vertical height extending from the bottom portion of the stringer hole to the upper portion thereof, and the shear tie and the clip define non-contiguous elements spaced vertically apart by at least the height of the stringer;
- and
- wherein the clip is defined by a flat planar body that extends from only one side of the web.
A torque box for a wing structure of an aircraft, the torque box comprising:
- a front spar and a rear spar;
- an upper skin panel extending from the front spar to the rear spar;
- a lower skin panel extending from the front spar to the rear spar;
- a stringer coupled to at least one of the upper and lower skin panels and oriented along a span direction of the wing structure;
- a rib oriented along a chord direction of the wing structure, the rib including:
- a web defining at least one stringer hole having first extremity adjacent one of the skin panels, and having a second extremity vertically spaced from the first extremity, the stringer hole being sized to receive the stringer;
- a shear tie coupled to the web and configured to engage the at least one of the upper and lower skin panels;
- and
- a clip positioned adjacent the at least one stringer hole, the clip having a base coupled to and aligned with the web, a head extending at an angle relative to the base and configured to engage the stringer, and a transition portion extending between the base and the head;
- wherein the stringer has a vertical height extending from the first extremity of the stringer hole to the second extremity thereof, and the shear tie and the clip define non-contiguous elements spaced vertically apart by at least the height of the stringer;
- and
- wherein the clip is defined by a flat planar body that extends from only one side of the web.
A torque box for a wing structure of an aircraft, the torque box comprising:
- a front spar and a rear spar;
- an upper skin panel extending from the front spar to the rear spar;
- a lower skin panel extending from the front spar to the rear spar;
- a stringer coupled to at least one of the upper and lower skin panels and oriented along a span direction of the wing structure;
- a rib oriented along a chord direction of the wing structure, the rib including:
- a web defining a web axis and at least one stringer hole having first extremity adjacent one of the skin panels, and having a second extremity vertically spaced from the first extremity, the stringer hole being sized to receive the stringer;
- a shear tie formed integrally with the web and configured to engage the at least one of the upper and lower skin panels;
- and
- a clip formed integrally with the web and positioned adjacent the at least one stringer hole, the clip having a base defining a base axis, a head extending at an angle relative to the base and configured to engage the stringer, and a transition portion extending between the base and the head, wherein the base axis is coincident with the web axis;
- wherein the stringer has a vertical height extending from the first extremity of the stringer hole to the second extremity thereof, and the shear tie and the clip define non-contiguous elements spaced vertically apart by at least the height of the stringer;
- and
- wherein the clip is defined by a flat planar body that extends from only one side of the web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.