Rib Mounting Kit

Abstract

The present application relates to a rib mounting assembly for an aircraft. The rib mounting assembly comprises a rib column (60) and a sealing member (80, 81). The rib column has a rib column foot (63) for mounting with a longitudinal wing spar (31) and a rib column web (62) standing upright from the rib column foot. The sealing member has a sealing body (82) and a mounting flange (87). The mounting flange is mounted with the rib column foot and the sealing body extends from the end of the rib column.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rib mounting assembly for an aircraft, a rib-spar joint for an aircraft, a sealing member for covering a gap between a rib configuration, a spar and a cover for an aircraft, an aircraft, and a method for sealing a rib for an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] The wings of an aircraft usually comprise a torque box comprising upper and lower wing covers (or upper and lower skins) on either side of a structural frame comprising spanwise spars and chordwise ribs. Each wing is provided with at least one spar, but more usually two or more spars. In aircraft wings, the torque box is usually referred to as a wing box. The cover may also be reinforced with stringers, which extend generally in the spanwise direction.

[0003] The ribs in the wing box divide the wing box into different chambers. It is known to use at least some of these chambers as fuel tanks. Other chambers may be used as drying chambers. Therefore, it is known to seal the ribs to fluidly divide the different chambers. Traditionally, after the main components of the wing box are assembled, sealing plates are manually fixed over any gaps to be sealed formed in the ribs, or fixed between the ribs and any other components, such as the spars and / or covers to be sealed.

[0004] To seal the gap, a sealing plate of appropriate size is selected to cover the gap to be sealed, and then the sealing plate is secured to the rib itself to extend over the gap. The sealing plate covers the gap and a durable sealant adheres around the sealing plate to seal the gap. Fitting the sealing plate to cover the gap results in additional assembly time and requires access to the interior of the wing box after assembly of the main wing box components. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a rib mounting assembly for an aircraft is provided, the rib mounting assembly comprising: a rib column having a rib column foot for mounting to a longitudinal wing beam and a rib column web upright from the rib column foot; and a sealing member having a sealing body and a mounting flange; wherein the mounting flange is arranged to be mounted with the rib column foot; and wherein the sealing body is configured to extend from an end of the rib column.

[0006] Therefore, sealing member and rib column are easy to assemble.Through this configuration, sealing member can be assembled with rib column under the situation that does not need other assembling steps.

[0007] During installation of the rib, the sealing member may be allowed to float relative to the rib column. The sealing member may be able to float around the rib column fastener. The rib column may then be held in place when the rib is secured to the spar. The rib column fastener may be used to limit movement of the sealing member. The sealing member may overlap the rib column. The sealing member may be configured to have a shape corresponding to an inner surface of one or more components.

[0008] The sealing member may be configured to be movable relative to the rib column during mounting of the rib column to the spar. Thus, correct positioning of the sealing member may be easily achieved.

[0009] The assembly may be configured to constrain movement of the sealing member relative to the rib post during installation of the rib. Through this arrangement, correct alignment of the sealing member may be achieved during assembly.

[0010] The rib post may include a guide recess configured to at least partially receive the mounting flange.

[0011] The rib mounting assembly may include fasteners configured to mount the rib post foot and the mounting flange to the longitudinal spar.

[0012] The fastener may be configured to extend through the rib foot and the mounting flange.

[0013] The mounting flange may include a guide slot through which the fastener extends so that the sealing member can move around the fastener during installation of the rib. Thus, movement of the sealing member may be constrained to facilitate alignment. The sealing member may be easily aligned with and secured to the rib when the rib is installed.

[0014] The fasteners may be configured to clamp the rib post and mounting flange to the longitudinal spar. Thus, the rib post and sealing member may be installed directly, minimizing assembly time and complexity. The number of parts in the assembly may be minimized.

[0015] The mounting flange may be configured to be received between the rib column and the longitudinal spar. The mounting flange may be arranged to be sandwiched between the rib column and the longitudinal spar.

[0016] The mounting flange may be configured to be received on an opposite side of the rib foot from the longitudinal spar.

[0017] The sealing body may be configured to overlap the side of the rib web. Thus, an indirect path across the plane of the rib web is formed at the junction of the rib web and the sealing member. The sealing body may include a sealing plate having a first portion configured to cover the gap at the end of the rib web and a second portion configured to overlap the rib web. The second portion may be offset from the first portion.

[0018] The sealing body may include a sealing surface. The sealing body may include a flange portion, and the flange portion may define the sealing surface.

[0019] A sealant receiving channel may be received in the sealing surface. The channel helps to ensure an amount of sealant between the sealing surface and a component against which the sealing surface abuts.

[0020] The sealing body may include spacers for spacing the sealing surface from the longitudinal spar. The spacers thus help to ensure a minimum thickness of the sealing material.

[0021] The sealing surface may include a curved region.

[0022] The sealing surface may include a first sealing area configured to align with a surface of the longitudinal spar and a second sealing area configured to align with a surface of the airfoil cover.

[0023] The seal body may include a seal plate configured to overlap the rib web, and the mounting flange may be configured to overlap the rib foot.

[0024] The sealing member may be a first sealing member and the assembly may include a second sealing member having a sealing body and a mounting flange; wherein the sealing body of the second sealing member may be configured to extend from the other end of the rib column; and wherein the mounting flange of the second sealing member may be configured to be mounted with the rib column foot.

[0025] The rib foot may extend to one side of the rib web so that the rib is L-shaped, and the mounting flange may extend in the same direction as the rib web so that the rib mounting assembly is configured to exist only on one side of the rib mounted by the rib mounting assembly.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rib-spar joint of an aircraft, comprising: a longitudinal spar; an airfoil cover; a rib configuration extending from the spar; and a sealing member covering a gap formed at a junction of the spar, the rib configuration and the cover; wherein the sealing member comprises a sealing body and a mounting flange, the sealing body covering the gap, the mounting flange being mounted to the spar and arranged to be movable relative to the spar during assembly of the rib-spar joint.

[0027] The spar and cap may be integrally formed from a composite laminate material to form a spar-cap such that the composite material of the spar extends continuously into the cap through a bend region created between the spar and the cap. The gap may be at least partially formed by the bend region.

[0028] The spar-cap may be Z-shaped. The spar-cap may be Omega-shaped.

[0029] The spar may include a spar web and a spar flange integrally formed of composite laminate material such that the composite material of the spar web extends continuously into the spar flange through a bend region created between the spar web and the spar flange. The gap may be at least partially formed by the bend region.

[0030] The rib-spar joint may include a sealant located between the seal member and at least one of the spar, the rib, and the cap.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing member for covering the gap between the rib configuration, wing beam and cover of an aircraft, the sealing member comprising: a sealing body arranged to cover the gap; and a mounting flange extending from the sealing body; wherein the mounting flange is configured to overlap with and be mounted on the foot of the rib configuration, and the sealing body is configured to extend from the web of the rib configuration to cover the gap.

[0032] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft comprising a rib mounting assembly as described above. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rib-spar joint as described above for an aircraft. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing member as described above for covering a gap between a rib configuration, a spar and a cover of an aircraft.

[0033] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for sealing a rib for an aircraft is provided, the method comprising: assembling the rib to a longitudinal wing spar using a rib column assembly, the rib column assembly comprising a rib column and a sealing member, the sealing member being configured to cover a gap between the rib, the wing spar and an airfoil cover; using at least one fastener to mount the rib column and the sealing member on the wing spar in a manner such that the sealing member is in a movable state; positioning the sealing member to cover the gap; and fixing the sealing member to the rib column and the wing spar using at least one fastener.

[0034] The method may include applying a curable sealant around the sealing member and curing the sealant to seal the gap.

[0035] The sealing member may be secured to the rib column and the spar with the airfoil cover removed, and the method may include attaching the cover to the longitudinal spar after securing the sealing member in place using at least one fastener.

[0036] Reference to the bend region refers to the angle or out-of-plane curvature formed between the spar and the cap. The bend region may be a sharp vertex or a smoothly blended curved corner.

[0037] Reference to a longitudinal spar is to a spar extending along the length of the wing in a generally spanwise direction from the wing root to the wing tip. The longitudinal spar may be generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, but may be slightly inclined to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage due to, for example, the aspect ratio, twist or sweep of the wing.

[0038] Terms referring to such as upper, lower, leading edge and trailing edge are used with reference to conventional terminology of aircraft. For example, an upper cover refers to a cover on the side of the wing to which the lifting member is directed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040] Figure 1 A perspective view of a fixed-wing aircraft is illustrated;

[0041] Figure 2 illustrates a cut-away side view of a portion of a wing box showing a Z-shaped spar-cap, lower cap, and rib assembly;

[0042] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a wing box assembly including an upper sealing member and a lower sealing member;

[0043] Figure 4 Picture shows Figure 3 an exploded cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of a wing box assembly shown in;

[0044] Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a variation of a portion of a wing box assembly in which the spar is a C-shaped profile variation having an upper cap and a lower cap;

[0045] Figure 6 The exploded cross-section diagram shows Figure 5 a portion of a wing box assembly;

[0046] Figure 7 Picture shows Figure 5 and Figure 6 A perspective view of a variation of the invention, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are omitted;

[0047] Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of a variation of a sealing member assembled with a portion of a wing box assembly;

[0048] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 Illustration of assembly with a portion of the wing box assembly Figure 8 Additional views of the sealing member;

[0049] Fig.11 Picture shows Figures 8 to 10A perspective view of the sealing member shown in ;

[0050] Fig.12 illustrates a close-up view of a portion of a sealing member;

[0051] Fig.13 A perspective view illustrating another variation of a sealing member assembled with a rib assembly;

[0052] Fig.14 A perspective view illustrating yet another variation of a rib mounting assembly; and

[0053] Fig.15 A perspective view of another variation of a sealing member assembled with a rib assembly is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Figure 1 The diagram shows a typical configuration for a fixed-wing passenger aircraft 10. The aircraft 10 includes a fuselage 11, wings 12, engines 13, and horizontal and vertical tail planes 14 and 15. It should be understood that the present invention is not only applicable to Figure 1 The invention is not limited to the type of aircraft shown in the drawings, but can be applicable to a variety of aircraft types. For example, the aircraft can be used for commercial purposes or military purposes, can be used to transport passengers or cargo, can have a jet engine propulsion system, a propeller engine propulsion system or other engine propulsion system, can have various fuselage / wing configurations, such as high wing, low wing or hybrid wing bodies, and can be designed to fly at subsonic speeds, transonic speeds or supersonic speeds. Although the invention is described with reference to a wing, it will be understood that the invention can be applied to other airfoil shaped bodies, such as a tail plane.

[0055] Each wing 12 is formed as an airfoil-shaped body. Similarly, the horizontal tail plane 14 and the vertical tail plane 15 are also arranged similarly. Each wing 12 includes a torque box, which is also called a wing box. Figure 2 A portion of the wing box 20 , ie, the front end portion, is shown in FIG.

[0056] Figure 2 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of the front end of a wing 12 of an aircraft 10. The wing 12 comprises a spar-cap member 30, a lower cap 40 and a rib formation 50. Figure 21 and 2. One rib configuration 50 is partially shown in the figure, but it should be understood that the wing 12 will include multiple rib configurations 50 in the chord direction extending between the spar and the cover. The wing will also generally include a rear spar (not shown), stringers (one of which 21 is shown), and leading edge structures and trailing edge structures (not shown). The stringers 21 are of conventional type and will therefore not be described in further detail. The stringers 21 reinforce the cover, thereby acting as a reinforcing member extending in the span direction, and the stringers 21 are attached to the interior of the cover.

[0057] The spar-cap member 30 includes a front spar 31, an upper cap 32 and a lower spar flange 33. The spar-cap 30 is an integrally formed unitary member including the upper cap 32, the front spar 31 and the lower spar flange 33. The lower spar flange 33 serves as an attachment flange for mounting with the lower cap 40. The spar-cap member 30 includes a fiber reinforced matrix composite laminate material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer.

[0058] The composite laminate material of the spar-cap member 30 extends continuously from the upper cap 32 into the front spar 31 and into the lower spar flange 33. A bending region 34 is created between the upper cap 32 and the front spar 31. Another bending region 34 is created between the front spar 31 and the lower spar flange 33. The bending regions 34 are curved. Each bending region 34 has a curved inner surface 35 on the inside of the wing box 20.

[0059] Each bend region 34 is located at a junction between one of the spars and one of the caps. Although as described herein, the front spar 31 and the upper cap 32 are formed as an integral spar-cap component, it will be appreciated that the front spar 31 and the upper cap 32 may be separate components that are assembled together. Two or more of each of the front and rear spars and the upper and lower caps may be integrally formed, or formed separately and assembled together. Typically these components comprise a fiber reinforced matrix composite laminate material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer.

[0060] The junction between the upper cover 32 and the front spar 31 has a concavely curved inner surface 35. The lower spar flange 33 extends from the front spar 31 in a forward direction. The junction of the front spar 31 and the lower spar flange 33 has a convexly curved inner surface 35. It will be appreciated that the lower spar flange 33 may extend from the front spar 31 in a rearward direction. Figure 2As can be seen, the spar-cap member 30 is generally Z-shaped. The Z-shaped member has: a first limb corresponding to the cap; a second limb corresponding to the front spar; and a third limb corresponding to the spar flange, the third limb being used to attach to another member. In another arrangement structure, the spar-cap member is generally omega-shaped. The omega-shaped member has: a first limb corresponding to the cap; a second front limb and a second rear limb corresponding to the front spar and the rear spar, respectively; and a third front limb and a third rear limb corresponding to the front spar flange 33a and the rear spar flange 33b. In an alternative arrangement structure, the spar and the cap can be separate and assembled together (for example Figure 5 and Figure 6 ), wherein the spar has an upper spar flange and a lower spar flange which are assembled with an upper cover and a lower cover respectively.

[0061] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the upper spar flange 33a and the lower spar flange 33b extend forwardly, but it will be appreciated that in alternative arrangements the upper spar flange 33a and the lower spar flange 33b may extend rearwardly. Although the description herein is primarily with respect to a front spar assembly, it will be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to a rear spar configuration and / or any intermediate spar configuration.

[0062] The rib configuration 50 extends in the chord direction of the wing box 20. The rib configuration 50 extends between the front spar 31 and the rear spar (not shown) and between the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 40. The rib configuration 50 includes ribs 51 and rib columns 60. The rib column 60 at the front end attaches the rib 51 to the front spar 31. The corresponding rib column 60 at the rear end of the rib 51 attaches the rib 51 to the rear spar (not shown). One or more of the rib columns 60 can be formed integrally with the rib 51. The rib 51 includes a fiber-reinforced matrix composite laminate material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Although the component is described herein as being formed of a fiber-reinforced matrix composite laminate material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer, it should be understood that alternative materials can be used.

[0063] The rib 51 includes a rib web 52. The rib web 52 defines the general plane of the rib 51. The rib foot 53 mounts the rib 51 to the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 40. The rib foot 53 is shown herein as being integrally formed with the rib web 52. However, the rib foot 53 may be formed as a separate component attached to the rib web 52. The ribs, stringers, and other components may be attached to or co-cured to the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 44.

[0064] The stringers 21 extend through rathole holes 54 in the ribs 51. Other components, such as tubes (not shown), extend through holes 55. The rathole holes 54 and holes 55 are sealed by conventional means, such as by sealing plates attached to the rib webs, and therefore further description will be omitted herein.

[0065] The rib post 60 forms part of the rib mounting assembly 61. The rib post 60 attaches the rib 51 to the front spar 31. The rear rib post (not shown) attaches the rib 51 to the rear spar (not shown). The front rib post 60 extends in front of the rib 51. The rib post 60 extends between the rib 51 and the front spar 31. The rib post 60 extends from the rib 51 in a manner spaced apart from the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 40. A gap 36 is formed at each junction of the spar and the cover. An upper gap 36a is defined between the rib 51, the rib post 60, the front spar 31 and the upper cover 32. A lower gap 36b is defined between the rib 51, the rib post 60, the spar 31 and the lower cover 40. With the present arrangement, each gap 36 is at least partially defined by the curved inner surface 35.

[0066] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the rib 60 includes a rib web 62 and a rib foot 63. The rib web 62 stands upright from the rib foot 63. The rib foot 63 extends on both sides of the rib web 62. The rib 60 is generally T-shaped, but it will be understood that alternative shapes are possible, such as an L-shape. The rib 60 has an upper end 64 and a lower end 65. The upper end 64 and the lower end 65 define the ends of the rib web 62 and the ends of the rib foot 63. The rib web 62 extends laterally from the rib foot 63. The rib web 62 is fixedly mounted to the rib 51. The fixing member 66 (see Figure 2 ) The rib web 62 is secured to the rib 51. The securing members 66 are conventional and may include rivets, adhesives and / or bolts. The rib web 62 overlaps the rib 51 and is secured in an overlapping arrangement.

[0067] The rib column 60 is attached to the inner side of the front spar 31. The rib column foot 63 has an attachment surface 67 for attaching to the spar 31. Fasteners 70, such as rivets or threaded fasteners, are received in the rib column 60 through fastening holes 68. The fastening holes 68 extend through the rib column foot 63. The fastening holes 68 extend from the rear side of the rib column foot 63 to the attachment surface 67. Each fastening hole 68 is configured to correspond to one of the corresponding fasteners 70. The fastening holes 68 are distributed along the rib column foot 63. The upper fastening hole 68a is located at the upper end 64 of the rib column 60. The lower fastening hole 68b is located at the lower end 65 of the rib column 60. When the wing box 20 is assembled, the fasteners 70 fixedly mount the rib column 60 with the front spar 31.

[0068] A sealing member 80, 81 is provided at each end of the rib column 60. The upper sealing member 80 is located at the upper end 64 of the rib column 60 and the lower sealing member 81 is located at the lower end 65 of the rib column 60. Each of the sealing members 80, 81 is configured to seal a corresponding one of the gaps 36 at the junction of the spar, the cover and the rib. The upper sealing member 80 is arranged to seal the upper gap 36a. The lower sealing member 81 is configured to seal the lower gap 36b. Each sealing member 80, 81 has a sealing body 82. The sealing body 82 is arranged to cover the corresponding gap 36. The sealing body 82 includes a sealing plate 83. The sealing plate 83 overlaps with the rib column web 62 when assembled with the rib column 60. The sealing plate 83 includes a cover portion 84, which is configured to extend above the gap 36. An overlapping portion 85 extends from the cover portion 84. The overlapping portion 85 is configured to overlap with the end of the rib foot 60. In the present arrangement, the overlap portion 85 is offset from the plane of the cover portion 84. This offset allows the cover portion 84 to extend generally coplanar with the rib web 62. The offset arrangement also provides an indirect flow path between the seal body 82 and the rib web seal.

[0069] The seal body 82 includes a sealing surface 86. The sealing surface 86 is arranged to be positioned relative to the spar-cap component 30 to facilitate sealing between the seal member 80 and the spar cap-component 30. The contour of the sealing surface 86 generally corresponds to the contour of the interior of the spar-cap component 30 near the bending area 84. The sealing surface 86 is formed by a flange portion of the seal body 82. The flanged arrangement structure forming the sealing surface 86 increases the surface area of ​​the sealing surface 86.

[0070] The sealing surface 86 of the sealing body 82 includes a curved portion corresponding to the curved inner surface 35 of the bending region 34. The sealing surface 86 also includes a flat portion corresponding to the flat surface extending from the bending region 34 of the spar-cap member 30. It will be appreciated that the configuration of the sealing body 82 will vary depending on the configuration of the gap 36 to be covered. For example, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the arrangement shown in , the upper seal member 80 has a convex portion of the seal surface 86 to correspond to the upper curved surface 35 , and the lower seal member 81 has a concave portion of the seal surface 86 to correspond to the lower curved surface 35 .

[0071] A mounting flange 87 extends from the seal body 82. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , each of the sealing members 81 , 82 has two mounting flanges 87 . However, it will be appreciated that the number of mounting flanges may be different. For example, as described below with reference to FIG. Figures 8 to 13Each of the sealing members has a single mounting flange 87. The mounting flange 87 protrudes from the sealing plate 83. Each mounting flange 87 of the sealing members 80, 81 extends substantially perpendicular to the sealing plate 83. The sealing plate 83 is configured to cover the gap 36 extending substantially along the plane of the rib 51. The mounting flange 87 is configured to extend along a plane substantially parallel to the rib column foot 63. The sealing plate 83 and the mounting flange 87 extend substantially transversely to each other. Each mounting flange 87 is configured to overlap the end of the rib column foot 63. Each mounting flange 87 is offset from the sealing surface 86 to allow the sealing surface 86 to extend substantially coplanar with the attachment surface 67 of the foot 63 when the sealing members 80, 81 are assembled with the rib column 60. The two mounting flanges 87 are spaced apart by a recess to receive the rib column web 62 between the two mounting flanges. Each mounting flange 87 has a guide slot 88. The guide slot 88 extends through the mounting flange 87. The number of guide slots 88 can be different. The longitudinal axis of the guide groove 88 extends in the direction of the sealing plate 83. The guide groove 88 is configured to be aligned with the corresponding fastening hole 68 when the rib column and the sealing member are assembled.

[0072] The assembly of the wing box 20 will now be described. The rib column 60 is assembled with the rib 51. The rib column 60 is fixedly mounted with the rib 51. The rib configuration 50 including the rib 51 and the rib column 60 is placed with the spar-cover component 30. The upper sealing member 80 is positioned at the upper end 64 of the rib column 60 and the lower sealing member 81 is positioned at the lower end 65 of the rib column 60. The fastener 70 is passed through the guide groove 88 of the upper sealing member 80 and is received at the upper end 64 of the rib column foot 63 through the upper fastening hole 68a. The fastener 70 is mounted with the front spar 31. Therefore, the fastener 70 mounts the upper sealing member 80, the rib column 60 and the front spar 31 together.

[0073] When assembling the assembly, the fastener 70 is initially in a loose state. Therefore, by sliding the fastener 70 in the guide groove 88, the upper sealing member 80 can slide relative to the rib column 60. Therefore, the upper sealing member 80 can be positioned relative to the rib column 60 and the front spar 31 and the upper cover 32 to cover the upper gap 36a. When the components are correctly positioned, the fastener 70 is tightened into a fixed state to fix the upper sealing member 80 with the rib column 60 and the spar-cover component 30. Therefore, the upper gap 36a can be effectively covered. During assembly, either before the components are fixedly mounted relative to each other or after the fastener 70 is fixed, a curable sealant is applied around the sealing member 80. The curable sealant is applied to the sealing surface 86 and to the overlapping portion 85. Then, for fixing, the curable sealant is allowed to cure to seal the upper gap 36a.

[0074] To seal the lower gap 36b, the lower sealing member 81 is assembled with the spar-cap component 30 at the lower end 68b of the rib column 60. The fastener 70 is received in the mounting flange 87 of the lower sealing member 81 through the guide groove 88 and in the lower end 65 of the rib column foot 63 through the lower fastening hole 68b. The fastener 70 is installed in a loose state during assembly to allow the lower sealing member 81 to slide relative to the rib column 60. The corresponding portion of the sealing surface 86 is arranged to be positioned with the lower cover 40 and aligned with the plane of the inner surface of the lower cover 40. The fastener 70 is then tightened into a fixed installation position. This alignment can be achieved in different ways, including by moving the lower cover into position and tightening the fastener 70. A curable sealant is applied around the lower sealing member 81, and the lower cover 40 is placed in place with the spar-cap component 30. The curable sealant is allowed to cure to seal the lower gap 36b.

[0075] The fasteners 70 clamp the mounting flanges 87 of the rib column 60 and the sealing members 80, 81 to the front spar 31. The mounting flanges 87 are received on the side of the rib column foot 63 opposite the front spar 31. Thus, the rib column foot 63 is sandwiched between the mounting flanges 87 and the front spar 31. It will be appreciated that alternative configurations are contemplated. For example, in Figures 5 to 7 An alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 . In this alternative arrangement, the front spar 31 is separate from the upper cover 32. The front spar 31 is a C-shaped piece with a spar web 31a and upper and lower spar flanges 33a and 33b. The upper cover 32 is attached to the upper spar flange 33a and the lower cover 40 is attached to the lower spar flange 33b. The rib 60 also has a different profile. In particular, the rib web has a plurality of edge portions.

[0076] The rib mounting assembly 61 includes an upper sealing member 80 and a lower sealing member 81. The upper sealing member 80 covers the upper gap 36a and the lower sealing member covers the lower gap 36b. The arrangement structure is substantially the same as the above-described arrangement structure and therefore a detailed description will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the configuration of the sealing body 82 of the upper sealing member 80 is different from the configuration of the above-described sealing body. In this embodiment, the front spar 31 has a bending area 34 at the upper end portion, which forms a convexly curved inner surface 35. This is different from the concavely curved inner surface 35 as described above. Each of the upper sealing member 80 and the lower sealing member 81 has a concave portion of a sealing surface 86 to correspond to the contour of the gap 36 formed at each end of the rib column 60.

[0077] A sealant receiving channel 89 is formed in the sealing surface 86. The sealant receiving channel 89 extends along the sealing surface 86. The sealant receiving channel 89 is configured to receive sealant along the length of the sealing surface 86. Providing the sealant receiving channel 89 in the sealing surface 86 helps to ensure the thickness of the sealant along the line of the sealing surface 86. Therefore, the thickness of the sealing material is maintained when the sealing surface 86 is forced into abutment with the surface of the surrounding components.

[0078] Now refer to Figures 8 to 11 Now, another embodiment of the sealing member 90 will be described. The sealing member 90 generally corresponds to the arrangement structure of the above-mentioned sealing members 80, 81. A detailed description of the sealing member 90 will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the configuration of the mounting flange is different.

[0079] Figures 8 to 11 The sealing member 90 shown in is a lower sealing member, but it will be understood that the upper sealing member can have a corresponding configuration. The sealing member 90 has a sealing body 92 and a mounting flange 97. The sealing body 92 is arranged to cover the corresponding gap 36. The sealing body 92 includes a sealing plate 93. The sealing plate 93 overlaps with the rib column web 62 when assembled with the rib column 60. The sealing plate 93 includes a cover portion 94, and the cover portion 94 is configured to extend above the gap 36. The overlapping portion 95 extends from the cover portion 94. The overlapping portion 95 is configured to overlap with the end of the rib foot 60. In the present embodiment, the rib column web 62 has a protruding end portion 62a. The overlapping portion 93 has a shape configured to overlap with two edges of the protruding end portion 62a. Therefore, the overlapping portion 93 has an L-shaped configuration. Other shapes can be expected.

[0080] A mounting flange 97 extends from the seal body 92. The mounting flange 97 is flat. The mounting flange 97 extends generally perpendicular to the seal plate 93. The mounting flange 97 is configured to be sandwiched between the rib foot 63 and the spar 31. The mounting flange 97 has a mounting face 97a positioned against the spar 31. The sealing face 96 extends from the mounting face 97a. The sealing face 96 has a sealant receiving channel 99. The sealant receiving channel 99 extends along the sealing face 96. The sealant receiving channel 99 has a plurality of channel portions 99a, 99b, 99c, wherein each portion of the sealing face 96 has a corresponding channel portion.

[0081] When assembled, the rib foot 63 extends at least partially over the mounting flange 97. The rib foot 63 has a recess 69 arranged to receive the mounting flange 97. The recess 69 has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the mounting flange 97. The mounting flange 97 can slide in the recess 69. The mounting flange 97 can be clamped between the rib foot 63 and the spar 31 when correctly positioned. This facilitates the fixation of the sealing member 90.

[0082] The fastening holes 68 in the rib column 60 correspond to the guide grooves 88 in the mounting flange 97. Therefore, when the mounting flange 97 is received in the recess 69, these fastening holes 98 can be aligned with the guide grooves 98. These fastening holes 98 communicate with the recess 69. The fastener 70 protrudes through the recess 69 and thus passes through the mounting flange 97 received in the recess 69.

[0083] like Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , the seal body 92 has a spacer 100. The spacer 100 protrudes from the sealing face 96. The spacer 100 facilitates alignment of the seal member 90 with other components. The spacer 100 serves to space the sealing face 96 from surfaces of adjacent components, and in particular, to space the sealing face 96 from surfaces of the spar 31. Thus, the spacer 100 helps ensure a minimum thickness of the sealant material when applied between the surfaces.

[0084] Now refer to Fig.14 , another embodiment of the rib mounting assembly 101 will now be described. The rib mounting assembly 101 generally corresponds to the arrangement structure of the rib mounting assembly 61 described above. Therefore, a detailed description of the rib mounting assembly 101 will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the configuration of the rib column 102 and the sealing member 103 is different from the rib column 61 and the sealing members 80, 81 described above. Fig.14 The sealing member 103 shown in FIG. 1 is a lower sealing member, however it will be appreciated that the upper sealing member may have a corresponding configuration.

[0085] The rib 102 has a rib foot 104 that extends only to one side of the rib web 62, so that the rib is L-shaped. The sealing member 103 has a single mounting flange 105 that extends to one side of the sealing plate 106 of the sealing member 103. The mounting flange 105 extends in the same direction as the rib web. In the assembled configuration of the rib mounting assembly 101 (e.g., Fig.14 ), the sealing plate 106 is substantially coplanar with the rib web 62, and each of the sealing plate and the rib web is seated adjacent to and overlaps the rib 51. The rib foot 104 and the mounting flange 105 extend to the same side of the rib 51.

[0086] Thus, the rib mounting assembly 101 is present only on one side of the rib 51. This means that access to the opposite side of the rib 51 may not be required during installation of the rib, which may be advantageous for some applications. The rib mounting assembly 101 may also be advantageous for applications where there is limited or no space available on one side of the rib 51, for example because it is desired to mount a component in that location.

[0087] Although in the above-described embodiment, the fastener 70 extends through the mounting flange, it will be appreciated that in embodiments, the mounting flange is separate from the fastener. In such embodiments, the guide grooves used as guide arrangements may be omitted from the mounting flange. Fig.15 , showing an alternative guide arrangement. The sealing member 110 generally corresponds to the arrangement of the sealing members 80, 81, 90 described above. A detailed description of the sealing member 110 will be omitted.

[0088] The seal 110 has a seal body 112 and a mounting flange 117. The seal body 112 is arranged to cover the gap defined at the end of the rib column 60. The seal body 112 includes a sealing plate 113. The mounting flange 117 extends from the seal body 112. The mounting flange 117 is flat. The mounting flange 117 extends substantially perpendicular to the sealing plate 113. The mounting flange 117 is configured to be sandwiched between the rib column foot 63 and the spar 31. The rib column foot 63 has an attachment surface 67 for attaching to the spar 31. The mounting flange 117 has a mounting surface 117a positioned against the spar 31. The sealing surface 116 extends from the mounting surface 117a. The sealing surface 116 has a sealant receiving channel 99.

[0089] The rib foot 63 has a recess 69 arranged to receive the mounting flange 117. The recess 69 has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the mounting flange 17. The mounting flange 17 can slide in the recess 69. The mounting flange 117 can be clamped between the rib foot 63 and the spar 31 when correctly positioned. This facilitates the fixation of the sealing member 110. The recess 69 has a guide edge 69a. The guide edges 69a extend parallel to each other and define the walls of the recess. The guide edge 69a abuts against the mounting flange 117 to constrain the movement of the mounting flange 117.

[0090] The fastening holes 68 in the rib web 63 are arranged around the recess 69. The mounting flange 117 is retained between the rib 60 and the spar 31 when the assembly is assembled.

[0091] Where the word "or" appears, this should be interpreted as meaning "and / or" such that the mentioned items are not necessarily mutually exclusive but can be used in any appropriate combination.

[0092] Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rib mounting assembly for an aircraft, comprising: a rib column having a rib column foot for mounting to the longitudinal spar and a rib column web upstanding from the rib column foot; as well as a sealing member having a sealing body and a mounting flange; wherein the mounting flange is arranged to be mounted with the rib foot; and The sealing body is configured to extend from an end of the rib column.

2. The rib mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing member is configured to be movable relative to the rib column during installation of the rib column to the spar.

3. The rib mounting assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The sealing member is movable relative to the rib post prior to securing the mounting flange to the rib post foot.

4. The rib mounting assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The assembly is configured to constrain movement of the sealing member relative to the rib post during installation of the rib.

5. The rib mounting assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The rib post includes a guide recess configured to at least partially receive the mounting flange.

6. A rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising fasteners configured to mount the rib post foot and the mounting flange to the longitudinal spar.

7. The rib mounting assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The fastener is configured to extend through the rib post foot and the mounting flange, and wherein the mounting flange includes a guide slot through which the fastener extends such that the sealing member can move about the fastener during installation of the rib.

8. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The mounting flange is configured to be received between the rib column and the longitudinal spar.

9. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The mounting flange is configured to be received on a side of the rib foot opposite the longitudinal spar.

10. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The seal body includes a sealing surface and a sealant receiving passage located in the sealing surface.

11. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The sealing body includes a sealing surface and a spacer for spacing the sealing surface apart from the longitudinal spar.

12. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The sealing body includes a sealing surface and the sealing surface includes a curved region.

13. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The sealing body includes a sealing surface including a first sealing area configured to align with a surface of the longitudinal spar and a second sealing area configured to align with a surface of an airfoil cover assembled with the longitudinal spar.

14. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The seal body includes a seal plate configured to overlap the rib web, and the mounting flange is configured to overlap the rib foot.

15. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The sealing member is a first sealing member and the assembly includes a second sealing member having a sealing body and a mounting flange; wherein the sealing body of the second sealing member is configured to extend from the other end of the rib column; and wherein the mounting flange of the second sealing member is configured to be mounted with the rib column foot.

16. The rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The rib foot extends to one side of the rib web so that the rib is L-shaped, and wherein the mounting flange extends in the same direction as the rib web so that the rib mounting assembly is configured to exist only on one side of a rib mounted by the rib mounting assembly.

17. The rib mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein: The sealing member is used to cover the gap between the rib configuration, the wing spar and the cover of the aircraft; Wherein, the rib configuration includes the rib column; The sealing body is arranged to cover the gap and is configured to extend from the rib-shaped web to cover the gap; and The mounting flange extends from the seal body and is configured to overlap and mount with the rib formation foot.

18. A rib-spar joint for an aircraft, comprising a rib mounting assembly according to claim 1, a longitudinal spar, an airfoil cover and a rib configuration, in, The rib configuration includes the rib post and extends from the spar; The sealing member covers a gap formed at a joint of the spar, the rib configuration, and the airfoil cover; The sealing body covers the gap, the mounting flange is mounted with the spar and is arranged to be movable relative to the spar during assembly of the rib-spar joint.

19. The rib-spar joint of claim 18, wherein: The spar and the airfoil cover are integrally formed from a composite laminate material to form the spar cover, such that the composite laminate material of the spar extends continuously into the airfoil cover through a bending region created between the spar and the airfoil cover, and wherein the gap is at least partially formed by the bending region.

20. The rib-spar joint of claim 18, wherein: The spar comprises a spar web and a spar flange integrally formed of composite laminate material, such that the composite laminate material of the spar web continuously extends into the spar flange through a bending area generated between the spar web and the spar flange, and wherein the gap is at least partially formed by the bending area.

21. The rib-spar joint of claim 18, comprising a sealant located between the sealing member and at least one of the spar, the rib of the rib configuration, and the airfoil cover.

22. An aircraft comprising at least one of: a rib mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 17; and a rib-spar joint according to any one of claims 18 to 21.

23. A method of sealing a rib for an aircraft, comprising: assembling a rib to a longitudinal spar using a rib column assembly, the rib column assembly comprising a rib column and a sealing member configured to cover a gap between the rib, the spar and an airfoil cover; Using at least one fastener, mounting the rib column and the sealing member on the spar in a manner such that the sealing member is movable; positioning the sealing member to cover the gap; The sealing member is secured to the rib column and the spar using the at least one fastener.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising applying a curable sealant around the sealing member and curing the sealant to seal the gap.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein: With the airfoil cover removed, the sealing member is secured to the rib column and the spar, and the method includes attaching the airfoil cover to the longitudinal spar after securing the sealing member in place using the at least one fastener.

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