Injectable rib foot clamp

Abstract

A stringer foot clamp for sealing around a stringer passing through a stringer mouse in an aircraft assembly. The stringer foot clamp has a body for attaching to a stringer at the stringer mouse and defining a clamp channel, the body configured to be disposed above a stringer. The stringer foot clamp also has an injection hole through the clamp body, the injection hole in fluid communication with the clamp channel to allow injection of a sealant material through the injection hole into the clamp channel for sealing around the stringer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ribbed leg clamp for sealing a stringer passing through a ribbed rat hole in an aircraft assembly, an aircraft assembly having a ribbed leg clamp, a method for sealing a rat hole, a tool for forming a lip on the ribbed leg clamp, and a method for forming a lip on the ribbed leg clamp. Background Technology

[0002] An aircraft wing extends from its root, closest to the fuselage, along the wingspan to its tip. The wing comprises an upper canopy with an upper aerodynamic surface, a lower canopy with a lower aerodynamic surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. Internally, the wing is typically configured to house fuel-bearing volumes. Multiple ribs typically extend chordally between the front and rear spars, which extend roughly along the wingspan. The ribs connect to the spars and canopy to form a "wingbox" structure, which is the wing's primary load-bearing structure. Ribs can also be used to divide the wing's fuel-bearing volumes into different compartments. Stringers or longitudinal stiffeners typically extend along the wingspan along the inner side of the upper and lower canopies and pass through "ratholes" in the ribs or rib struts. Fuel can move freely into adjacent compartments through these ratholes, or the ratholes can be sealed to prevent fuel flow. The ratholes must be relatively large to accommodate potential geometric variations in the shape or size of aircraft components.

[0003] For aircraft with underwing-mounted engines, the "dry nacelle" can be located inside the wing directly above the engine / pylon. The dry nacelle does not contain any fuel and serves as a safety mechanism in the event of engine failure, such as a rotor disk bursting. However, the dry nacelle shares at least one rib with the adjacent fuel tank. Therefore, multiple rat holes need to be sealed to prevent fuel leakage into the dry nacelle and to keep it "dry."

[0004] Sealing the dry bay presents numerous challenges due to the extensive and complex junctions between the dry bay and the rest of the wing. Reliably sealing the dry bay rat holes is particularly difficult due to the limited access to areas within the assembled wing. Furthermore, the large gaps between the rat holes and the stringers, the complex shape of the stringers, and the angled angle of the dry bay rib rat holes relative to the dry bay ribs further complicate the sealing process. Therefore, providing a repeatable and effective solution to reliably seal each dry bay rib rat hole is likely to be challenging. Existing solutions for sealing rib rat holes involve attaching metal clamps to the stringers and securing these clamps to adjacent canopies and ribs at the rat hole locations, filling the clamps with flexible, open-cell polyurethane foam sheets filled with a curable sealant. These foam components are custom-tailored for each location, resulting in high procurement costs, and assembly to achieve the required high level of fluid tightness is also time-consuming. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention, a rib-foot clamp is provided for sealing around a stringer passing through a rib rat hole in an aircraft assembly. The rib-foot clamp includes: a clamp body for attaching to the rib at the rib rat hole and defining a clamp channel, the clamp body being configured to be disposed above the stringer; and an injection hole passing through the clamp body and in fluid communication with the clamp channel to allow sealant material to be injected through the injection hole into the clamp channel for sealing around the stringer.

[0006] A clamp is a component fastened to support and hold something in place. A rib is a chord-extending structural component of an aircraft wing. A rib rat hole is a hole in the edge of a rib. A stringer is a longitudinally reinforcing member. Here, the rib leg clamp is positioned above the stringer and attached to the rib where the stringer passes through the rib rat hole, and the rib leg clamp is used to support and hold the sealant in place for sealing around the stringer.

[0007] The clamp channel may be generally U-shaped, and may terminate at a first channel opening edge on one side of the clamp body and at a second channel opening edge on the opposite side of the clamp body. The channel lip may extend at least partially around the interior of the clamp channel, adjacent to the first channel opening edge and / or the second channel opening edge.

[0008] The channel lip can be configured to define the sealant material injected through the injection hole.

[0009] The channel lip can optimize the amount of sealant required for a complete seal at the joint. The channel lip can guide any excess sealant that might otherwise protrude from the edges of the first channel opening and / or the second channel opening and be directed toward the stringers.

[0010] The channel lip can be made of a sealant. The channel lip can be made of a curable material.

[0011] The channel lip can be made of the same material as the injected sealant to create a seal. The injected sealant can then cure to the channel lip.

[0012] The channel lip can be made of silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, or silane-modified polymer.

[0013] The channel lip can be made of closed-cell foam.

[0014] The rib support clamp may include a first attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the rib and / or a second attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the leg of the stringer.

[0015] Another aspect of the invention provides an aircraft assembly comprising: a stringer reinforcement cover and a rib having a rat hole, wherein the stringer passes through the rat hole in the rib; and a rib support clamp according to the first aspect, the rib support clamp being arranged above the stringer at the rib rat hole and having a cured sealant material inside the rib support clamp, the sealant material sealing around the stringer passing through the rib rat hole.

[0016] The rib may have multiple rat holes and corresponding rib support clamps, each rat hole having a corresponding stringer passing through it, and the corresponding rib support clamp having a cured sealant material that seals around the corresponding stringer passing through the corresponding rib rat hole.

[0017] Ribs can form the fuel tank boundary, and rib support clamps and sealant can form a fluid tight seal.

[0018] The injected sealant can completely seal one side of the rib from the other.

[0019] Ribs can form a boundary between the fuel tank and the dry compartment or between one fuel tank and another.

[0020] In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for sealing a stringer passing through a rib rat hole in an aircraft assembly by the following steps: providing a rib and a stringer extending through a rat hole in the rib; arranging a rib leg clamp above the stringer; attaching the rib leg clamp to the rib; and injecting a sealant through an injection hole in the rib leg clamp to fill the gap between the clamp channel and the stringer with the sealant, thereby sealing the gap.

[0021] The clamp channel may terminate at the edge of a first channel opening on one side of the clamp body and at the edge of a second channel opening on the opposite side of the clamp body, and the channel lip may be formed to extend at least partially around the interior of the clamp channel, adjacent to the edge of the first channel opening and / or the edge of the second channel opening.

[0022] After the rib support clamp is positioned above the stringer and before it is attached to the rib, holes can be drilled through the rib support clamp and the rib.

[0023] The lip can be formed after drilling the hole in the rib support clamp and before attaching the rib support clamp to the rib.

[0024] Drilling holes in the ribbed leg clamps allows them to be properly positioned above the stringers before sealant is injected. This provides a more effective seal because the ribbed leg clamps can be centered above the stringers, accommodating tolerances in the assembly.

[0025] The sealant can be injected into the injection hole with pneumatic assistance, preferably through a sealant spray gun.

[0026] This provides a quick and repeatable method for introducing sealant into ribbed leg clamps, thereby reducing manufacturing and assembly time.

[0027] The flow of injected sealant can be stopped when the sealant escapes from the clamp channel.

[0028] Visually observing the sealant begin to leak provides a simple way to verify when the sealant has fully filled the ribbed leg clamp and thus formed a reliable seal.

[0029] In another aspect of the invention, a tool is provided for forming a lip on a ribbed leg clamp having a clamp body defining a clamp channel and an attachment flange, the clamp body being configured to be disposed above a stringer, the attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the rib, wherein the clamp channel is generally U-shaped and terminates at a first channel opening edge on one side of the clamp body and at a second channel opening edge on the opposite side of the clamp body, the tool comprising: a tool body configured to be disposed against the clamp channel of the ribbed leg clamp, the tool body having at least one recess extending at least partially around the interior of the clamp channel, adjacent to the first channel opening edge and / or the second channel opening edge; and a positioning feature for aligning the tool body with the clamp body of the ribbed leg clamp.

[0030] The tool body may include two corresponding recesses that extend around the interior of the clamp channel, adjacent to the respective first channel opening edge and second channel opening edge.

[0031] Tools can be foldable. The tool body can be flexible to allow the tool to fold. Alternatively, the tool body can be more rigid and hinges can be integrated between the tool body sections.

[0032] This allows the tool body to be easily removed from the ribbed leg clamp without damaging the formed channel lip.

[0033] The tool body may have at least one handle for manually folding the foldable tool.

[0034] The tool can be made of nylon so that the sealant will not stick to the tool.

[0035] This allows the tool to be flexible without promoting adhesion between the sealant and the tool itself. This causes the channel lip to adhere to the ribbed leg clamp, rather than the tool.

[0036] In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for forming a lip on a ribbed leg clamp having a clamp body defining a clamp channel and an attachment flange, the clamp body being configured to be disposed above a stringer, the attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the rib, wherein the clamp channel is generally U-shaped and terminates at a first channel opening edge on one side of the clamp body and at a second channel opening edge on the opposite side of the clamp body, the method comprising: providing a tool; inserting the tool into the ribbed leg clamp such that the tool body is positioned against the clamp channel of the ribbed leg clamp; injecting a sealant into at least one recess of the tool body; curing the sealant; and removing the tool. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 A plan view of the aircraft is shown;

[0039] Figure 2 The interior details of a portion of an aircraft wing assembly with stringer reinforcement covers and ribs are shown;

[0040] Figure 3 A rib support clamp is shown, which is arranged above the stringers and attached to the ribs;

[0041] Figure 4 The ribbed support clamp is shown;

[0042] Figure 5 A tool for forming a channel lip on a ribbed leg clamp is shown;

[0043] Figure 6 A ribbed leg clamp is shown on the tool;

[0044] Figure 7 A ribbed leg clamp with a channel lip is shown;

[0045] Figure 8 The process of forming the channel lip and arranging the rib leg clamps above the stringers, as well as injecting sealant to seal the rat hole between the ribs and the stringers, is shown.

[0046] Figure 9 It shows Figure 3 The components and the injected sealant flow;

[0047] Figure 10 It is the cross-section of the ribbed support clamp body and the injected sealant flow. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Figure 1Aircraft 1 is shown, which has a starboard wing 2, a port wing 3, a fuselage 4, a nose section 5, and a tail section 6. Aircraft 1 is a typical jet-powered transonic passenger transport aircraft; however, the invention is applicable to various types of fixed-wing aircraft, including commercial, military, passenger, cargo, jet, propeller, and general aviation aircraft. Each wing 2, 3 has an upper wing cover and a lower wing cover 18, which are reinforced and strengthened by a plurality of stringers 14 extending along the wing from the wing root near the fuselage in a generally spanwise direction to the wingtip. The wing is configured to have an internal fuel-carrying volume.

[0049] Multiple ribs 12 extend in a generally chordal direction between the front wing spars and the rear wing spars (not shown), which extend generally in the wingspan direction. The ribs connect to the spars and the canopy to form a "wingbox" structure, which is the main load-bearing structure of the wing. The ribs also divide the fuel-bearing volume of the wing into different compartments.

[0050] A "dry nacelle" 8 is located on wing 2, adjacent to and above the underwing-mounted main engine. The dry nacelle does not contain fuel, preventing fuel leakage in the event of engine failure or malfunction—in which case engine components might directly impact the wing. The dry nacelle is adjacent to at least one fuel tank in the wing. The port wing 3 has a similar design.

[0051] Figure 2 A portion of the aircraft wing assembly 20 of wing 2 is shown, specifically showing ribs 12, stringers 14, a lower wing cover 18, and rib rat holes 16, through which the corresponding stringers 14 pass. Ribs 12 form a boundary between the fuel tank compartment 11 and the dry compartment 8. Ribs 12 extend generally vertically away from the lower cover 18, and are connected to the lower cover at their lower ends by rib feet and to the upper cover at their upper ends by rib feet (not shown). Ribs 12 have a plurality of rat holes 16 at their lower edge and a plurality of rat holes at their upper edge (not shown). The rib rat holes are formed in the rib to allow each stringer in the stringer to pass through the rib without creating any joints in the stringer.

[0052] The stringer 14 extends continuously through the corresponding rib rat hole 16 of the rib 12. Figure 2 The stringer profile is shown as a "Z-shaped" stringer; however, it should be understood that any number of stringer profiles, such as omega, top hat, C-shape, or any other suitable design, can be used. Mouse holes are sized to fit tightly to the stringer profile to minimize the gap between the stringer and ribs while allowing for clearance.

[0053] Between at least some fuel tanks, fuel can be allowed to move freely through rat holes in the ribs. However, this may be undesirable between other fuel tanks, and between the fuel tanks and the dry tank 8, the ribs 12 must be sealed. This is achieved by sealing the stringers 14 around each rat hole 16.

[0054] Figure 3 Details of the aircraft component 22 are shown, in which rib-supported clamps 21 are arranged above the stringer 14a. Figure 3 In this configuration, stringer 14a has a different top-hat profile than the Z-shaped stringer 14; however, any suitable stringer profile can be used. The rib support clamps can be made of any suitable material, such as metal or composite materials. The rib support clamps can be additively manufactured. For clarity, Figure 4 Rib-supported clamp 21 is shown separately.

[0055] The rib-support clamp 21 has a body 24 defining a clamp channel 34, which is configured to be arranged above the stringer 14a. The clamp body may have a bell-shaped, arched, or roof-shaped portion extending above the clamp channel 34. The rib-support clamp 21 is arranged on one side of the rib 12, and preferably, inside the dry compartment 8. However, two rib-support clamps 21 may be arranged, one on each side of a rat hole 16.

[0056] The rib-support clamp body 24 has a first attachment flange 30 for attaching the clamp body to the rib 12. A second attachment flange 32 extends perpendicular to the first attachment flange 30. The second attachment flange is configured to attach the clamp body to the leg and wing cover 18 of the stringer 14a. The rib-support clamp body may be an integral structure including the first attachment flange 30 and the second attachment flange 32, as well as an arched portion defining the clamp channel 34. The second attachment flange 32 may be formed in two parts, one on each side of the clamp channel 34. Each attachment flange 30, 32 has a plurality of fastener holes 28 for securing the rib-support clamp 21 to the rib 12 and the stringer 14a / cover 18, respectively.

[0057] The ribbed leg clamp channel 34 can be generally U-shaped, and the ribbed leg clamp channel 34 terminates on one side of the clamp body 24 at the first channel opening edge 34a and on the opposite side of the clamp body 24 at the second channel opening edge 34b (e.g., Figure 6(As shown in the diagram). An injection hole 26 is present through the clamp body, which is in fluid communication with the clamp channel 34 to allow sealant to be injected into the clamp channel 34 through the injection hole 26, thereby sealing around the stringer 14a. The injection hole 26 may be formed at the apex of the arched portion of the rib-support clamp body 24. The injection hole may be formed by drilling or by any suitable method. It should be understood that the injection hole 26, or multiple injection holes, may be located in any suitable area of ​​the clamp body 24 to be arranged in fluid communication with the clamp channel 34. Preferably, a single injection hole 26 is provided at the apex.

[0058] Rib support leg clamp channel 34 in Figure 4 The rib support is shown as generally U-shaped and positioned above stringer 14a, which has a top hat-shaped stringer profile. However, it should be understood that any suitable stringer profile, such as a C-shape, Z-shape, or any other suitable design, can be used. The rib support clamp channel 34 and the rib support body 30 can be sized and modified to fit closely to the stringer profile, minimizing the gap between the stringer and the rib support clamp channel 34 while allowing the rib support clamp channel 34 to be positioned above the stringer and the rib support clamp body 30 to be attached to the rib and stringer legs.

[0059] To prevent sealant from escaping from the clamp body 24 through the channel opening edges 34a, 34b, the ribbed leg clamp 21 may also include a channel lip 56 extending at least partially around the interior of the clamp channel 34 or adjacent to the first channel opening edge 34a and / or the second channel opening edge 34b (e.g., Figure 7 (As shown in the diagram). The channel lip 56 is positioned to serve as a shield between the channel body 34 and the external environment, and preferably to limit the leakage of the added sealant during the injection process. The channel lip 56 is preferably formed along the periphery of the channel edges 34a and 34b. However, it should be understood that various channel lip designs can be used to seal the gap between the clamp body 24 and the stringers. For example, a single lip can be formed along the center of the clamp body 24 such that only half of the clamp channel 34 is filled when the sealant is injected. Alternatively, the channel lip can be formed partially below the outer peripheral edges 34a and 34b, or formed into the clamp channel at a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral edges.

[0060] Preferably, two channel lips 56 are formed adjacent to the respective first channel opening edge 34a and second channel opening edge 34b. The channel lips are preferably formed before the rib leg clamp 21 is attached to the rib 12 and stringer 14a. The channel lips can be formed by a sealant. The lips can be made of any curable sealant such as silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, or silane-modified polymer. Preferably, the same material used to form the channel lips 56 is used to inject into the injection hole 26 and the rib leg clamp channel 34. The channel lips 56 are formed to guide the injection flow of sealant 60 into the gap 66, such that the injection flow of sealant 60 is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, it protrudes from the bottom of the rib leg clamp 21, indicating that the injected sealant has completely filled the area between the stringer 14a and the rib leg clamp body 24.

[0061] Figure 7 The channel lip 56 shown is depicted as a generally cuboid shape with a rectangular cross-section. However, it should be understood that any suitable shape of the lip channel 56 can be formed within the ribbed leg clamp channel 34. For example, the channel lip 56 can be formed with a triangular cross-section, wherein the base contacts and is formed to at least partially surround the interior of the clamp channel 34, and the vertices of the triangle extend into the ribbed leg clamp channel 34.

[0062] Alternatively, the channel lip 56 may be formed with a semi-circular cross-section, wherein the base contacts and is formed to at least partially surround the interior of the clamp channel 34, and the circular peak extends into the rib leg clamp channel 34.

[0063] When the channel lip 56 is formed with a apex or a rounded peak, it is easier to separate from the tool 40 after curing (discussed further below) and easier to press against the stringer. This makes the channel lip 56 easier and faster to manufacture. Once the rib leg clamp body 30 is positioned above the stringer, the channel lip 56 also better conforms to the profile of the stringer 14a, thereby improving the seal between the rib leg clamp and the stringer.

[0064] Alternatively, the channel lip 56 can be formed separately from the tool 40 and the ribbed leg clamp. The pre-formed channel lip 56 can then be adhered to the ribbed leg clamp channel 34 using any suitable form of adhesive. The adhesive can be the same material used to form the channel lip 56.

[0065] Alternatively, the channel lip 56 can be formed of closed-cell foam positioned within the ribbed jig channel 34. The closed-cell foam can be positioned within the channel, or it can adhere to the wall of the channel 34. Using closed-cell foam for the channel lip can reduce manufacturing and assembly time for sealing rat holes, as the time required to adhere closed-cell foam is likely less than that required to form a channel lip with a curable sealant.

[0066] Figure 5 An exemplary tool 40 is shown for forming a channel lip 56 on a ribbed leg clamp 21 using a curable sealant material. As shown, the tool 40 has a profile that generally corresponds to the profile of the ribbed leg clamp body 24. Therefore, it should be understood that tools 40 with various profiles can be used, depending on the profile of the ribbed leg clamp body 24. Figure 5 The tool 40 is shown in a generally U-shaped profile. The tool has two recesses 44a and 44b, which correspond to preferred locations of the channel lips 56 along the first channel opening edge 34a and the second channel opening edge 34b. These recesses extend at least partially along the interior of the clamping channel 34, adjacent to the first channel opening edge 34a and the second channel opening edge 34b. Alternatively, the tool 40 may have only one or more recesses configured to correspond to the channel lip 56 to be formed on the ribbed leg clamping channel 34.

[0067] Figure 5 The tool 40 shown has a positioning feature 46, which is configured to support a ribbed leg clamp when positioned on the tool, such as Figure 6 As shown in the diagram. Positioning feature 46 may be a protrusion for supporting the first attachment flange 30 and / or the second attachment flange 32. As described below, positioning feature 46 supports the ribbed leg clamp 21 while the channel lip 56 is being formed and (at least partially) cured. Feature 46 may be temporarily clamped to the flange 30 by means of a suitable spring C-clamp or the like to reduce the possibility of tool movement during the formation and curing of the lip 56.

[0068] Once tool 40 is inserted into ribbed leg clamp 21 (or ribbed leg clamp 21 is inserted into tool 40), sealant is added, for example, adhered to, or injected into recesses 44a and 44b. Preferably, a nozzle with a narrow tip, preferably a tapered tip, is used to add the sealant. The narrow tip ensures that once inserted, the nozzle can be used to add sealant to the bottom of recesses 44a and 44b (e.g., in…). Figure 5 and Figure 6(As shown in the diagram). This ensures that the sealant is fully incorporated into the recesses 44a and 44b and reduces the likelihood of air bubbles forming in the resulting channel lip 56.

[0069] The shapes of recesses 44a and 44b can be modified according to the final shape of the channel lip 56 to be formed. This allows the resulting channel lip 56 to cure while the tool 40 holds the supporting rib leg fixture. This ensures that the channel lip adheres to the rib leg fixture channel 34. The channel lip 56 can be cured more quickly by heating it during the curing process. This is done by heating the tool 40 and the rib leg fixture after the sealant has been added to the recesses 44a and 44b. Any suitable form of heat treatment can be used. This reduces the time required to manufacture the channel lip 56. Once the channel lip has cured, the tool 40 is removed.

[0070] like Figure 5 As shown, tool 40 may have a flexible “hinge” line 45 along the middle of the tool. Once the channel lip 56 has solidified, the tool can be folded by rotating or bending around the line 45 to allow easy disassembly of the tool without disturbing the channel lip 56. Tool 40 may also include a handle 48 to help facilitate manual folding of the tool within the ribbed leg clamp 21. However, it should be understood that the hinge line 45 can be located anywhere on the tool to allow folding. Any flexible, semi-rigid, or hinged rigid structure of the tool body 42 that enables the tool to fold around the ribbed leg clamp 21 so that the ribbed leg clamp can be removed after the channel lip 56 has been formed would be suitable.

[0071] The tool can be made of any material, such as metal or plastic, but preferably, it is manufactured using additive manufacturing. The tool can be made of ABS, PLA, or PC, but preferably, it is made of nylon. Manufacturing the tool body 42 with nylon allows the sealant to be supported in place for curing without promoting sealant adhesion to the tool, thus facilitating easy removal of the tool without the need for any unwanted release agents. The surface of the tool 40 can also be polished to further prevent sealant adhesion. This can be accomplished by any suitable method, such as heat-treating or polishing the tool after printing or rubbing its surface to remelt the surface.

[0072] A release agent can also be used on tool 40 to further prevent sealant from adhering to the tool. Tool 40 may be coated with the release agent before the channel lip 56 is formed. Preferably, once the channel lip 56 is formed, tool 40 is cleaned to remove any residual release agent before applying a new layer of release agent. The release agent can be any suitable release agent, such as sodium alginate. Figure 7A ribbed leg clamping device 56 with a ribbed leg clamping device 21 is shown, wherein the tool is removed and a channel lip 56 is formed on a first opening edge 34a and a second opening edge 34b of the clamping body 34.

[0073] Figure 8 The steps for assembling the rib-foot clamp 21 are shown, along with optional steps for forming the channel lip 56. The rib-foot clamp is positioned against the rib 12 and arranged above the stringer 14a to identify the final position of the rib-foot clamp. The rib-foot clamp should be centered on the stringer. Fastener holes 28 are drilled through the rib-foot clamp 21 (and the rib and stringer feet) before the clamp is removed from the rib 12 and stringer 14a. The injection (or inlet) hole 26 can be formed in the clamp body 24 at any time before the fastener hole 28 is provided and drilled. Alternatively, the inlet hole can be formed before forming the lip, or alternatively, the inlet hole can be formed after forming the sealant lip.

[0074] Once the rib foot clamp 21 has been removed from the rib 21, the fastener hole 28 can be cleaned and deburred before the rib foot clamp is subsequently provided to the rib for final fastener installation.

[0075] In the case of an optional channel lip to be formed on the ribbed leg fixture, after drilling the fastener hole, insert tool 40 into the ribbed leg fixture (or insert the ribbed leg fixture into tool 40) and inject sealant into the recesses 44a and 44b and allow it to cure. Once the channel lip 56 has cured, remove tool 40.

[0076] Then, before using the fastener holes 28 to install the final fasteners in the rib leg clamp 21 to secure the rib leg clamp 21 to the legs of the rib 12 and stringer 14a, the rib leg clamp 21 is positioned above the stringer 14a and against the rib 12.

[0077] Once tightened, inject sealant 60 through sealant injection hole 26, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown in the diagram. Sealant 60 is injected through injection hole 26 to fill the gap 66 between clamp body 24 and stringer 14a (as shown in the diagram). Figure 10 (As shown in the diagram). Inject sealant until it visibly protrudes from the rib leg clamp channel 34. This allows for a simple method of fully sealing the rib leg clamp 21 after it has been secured above the ribs 12 and stringers 14a. This also ensures a reliable seal, as visual inspection reduces the likelihood of an incomplete seal. The injectable sealant provides for faster installation of the rib leg clamp 21.

[0078] The sealant injected into the channel of the rib support clamp fills the gap 66 between the stringer profile and the interior of the clamp channel 34 to completely seal the cavity and prevent fuel from moving through the rat hole 16.

[0079] As described above, the injectable sealant 60 is preferably made of the same type of material as the sealant used to form the channel lip 56. This is advantageous because once the injected sealant cures, it will fuse with the channel lip 56 and form a viscous seal in the gap 66. This is advantageous because it promotes an effective seal.

[0080] The injectable sealant 60 can be introduced by any suitable means, but preferably, it is provided by a pre-filled sealant cartridge 64 with a nozzle attached, which is housed within a spray gun (not shown). The spray gun can be mechanically, pneumatically, or electromechanically driven to facilitate the rapid injection of the injectable sealant 60. Figure 10 The cross-section 62 of the sealant in the clamp body 24 and the cylinder 64 is shown. The cylinder 64 injects sealant using a flow of sealant 60. As shown, the flow of sealant 60 passes through the inlet orifice 26 and surrounds the stringer 14a, thereby filling the gap 66. The nozzle may be extended in length or appropriately bent to facilitate access to hard-to-reach areas within the wing assembly.

[0081] Although this invention relates to providing a fuel-sealed boundary between a dry compartment and a fuel tank within an aircraft, it should be understood that similar designs can be implemented in any boundary within a wing, aircraft, or any other industry.

[0082] In cases where the word "or" appears, it will be interpreted as "and / or," meaning that the items mentioned are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but can be used in any appropriate combination.

[0083] Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it should be understood 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-mounted leg clamp for sealing a stringer passing through a ribbed rat hole in an aircraft assembly, the rib-mounted leg clamp comprising: A clamp body for attaching to the rib at the rib rat hole and defining a clamp channel, the clamp body being configured to be arranged above the stringer; as well as An injection port, which passes through the clamp body and is in fluid communication with the clamp channel, allows sealant material to be injected into the clamp channel through the injection port for sealing around the stringers. The clamp body has an inner surface configured to face the stringer, such that the clamp channel is defined between the inner surface and the outer surface of the stringer. The clamping channel is U-shaped, terminating at a first channel opening edge on one side of the clamping body and at a second channel opening edge on the opposite side of the clamping body. The clamping channel also includes a channel lip extending toward the stringer beyond the inner surface and at least partially around the inner surface defining the clamping channel, and the channel lip is adjacent to the first channel opening edge and / or the second channel opening edge. The channel lip is configured to define the sealant material injected through the injection hole.

2. The ribbed support clamp according to claim 1, wherein, The channel lip is made of sealant or closed-cell foam.

3. The ribbed support clamp according to claim 2, wherein, When the channel lip is made of a sealant, the sealant of the channel lip is made of a curable material.

4. The ribbed support clamp according to claim 1, wherein, The injectable sealant material can be cured to the lip of the channel.

5. The ribbed support clamp according to claim 2, wherein, When the channel lip is made of a sealant, the sealant is made of silicone resin, polyurethane, polysulfide, or a silane-modified polymer.

6. The ribbed leg clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The clamp body further includes a first attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the rib and / or a second attachment flange for attaching the clamp body to the leg of the stringer.

7. The ribbed leg clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The clamp body is made of metal.

8. An aircraft component, comprising: A stringer reinforcing cover and a rib with a rat hole, wherein the stringer passes through the rat hole in the rib; and The ribbed leg clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ribbed leg clamp is arranged above the stringer at the ribbed rat hole and has a cured sealant material inside the ribbed leg clamp, the sealant material sealing the stringer around the stringer passing through the ribbed rat hole.

9. The aircraft component according to claim 8, wherein, The rib has multiple rat holes and corresponding rib support clamps, each rat hole having a corresponding stringer passing through it, and the rib support clamp having a cured sealant material that seals around the corresponding stringer passing through the corresponding rib rat hole.

10. The aircraft component according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein, The ribs form the boundary of the fuel tank, and the rib support clamps and the sealant material form a fluid tight seal.

11. The aircraft component of claim 10, wherein, The ribs form a boundary between the fuel tank and the dry compartment or between the fuel tank and another fuel tank.

12. A method for sealing around a stringer passing through a ribbed rat hole in an aircraft assembly, the method comprising: Provides ribs and stringers extending through mouse holes through the ribs; The rib support clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is arranged above the stringer; Attach the rib support clamp to the rib; Sealant is injected through the injection hole in the rib support clamp to fill the gap between the clamp channel and the stringer, thereby sealing the gap.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The clamping channel terminates at the edge of a first channel opening on one side of the clamping body and at the edge of a second channel opening on the opposite side of the clamping body. The method further includes: A channel lip is formed, which extends at least partially around the interior of the clamp channel, adjacent to the edge of the first channel opening and / or the edge of the second channel opening.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: After the rib support clamp is positioned above the stringer and before the rib support clamp is attached to the rib, a hole is drilled through the rib support clamp and the rib.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The channel lip is formed after drilling the hole in the rib leg clamp and before attaching the rib leg clamp to the rib.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The sealant is injected into the injection hole by air pressure injection.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The injection of sealant is stopped when the sealant escapes from the clamp channel.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The sealant is injected into the injection hole through a sealant spray gun.

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