Wing bodies for flying objects

Abstract

The invention relates to a wing body for flying objects, comprising - a wing box having a leading edge extending across the wingspan, on which a first wing box shell and an opposing second wing box shell are arranged to form a first part of an outer flow surface, - a leading edge slat arranged in the direction of flow in front of the wing box, which has a plurality of leading edge slat ribs extending transversely to the leading edge spar, on which a leading edge slat shell is arranged to form a second part of the outer flow surface, and - a plurality of rib mounts provided on the leading edge spar and designed for attaching the leading edge ribs in order to arrange the leading edge slat on the wing box, characterized by the fact that - at least one leading edge rib is attached to the respective rib receptacle by means of a rib fastening arrangement which has at least two spaced-apart fastening sections in order to fix the respective leading edge rib to the corresponding rib receptacle in a rotationally fixed manner.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a wing body for flying objects with a wing box and a leading edge flap arranged in front of the wing box in the direction of flow.

[0002] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "wing body" refers to those elements of an aircraft which are arranged, in particular, projecting from the fuselage of the aircraft and which, during the intended use of the aircraft, are exposed to air currents, thereby generating aerodynamic forces. Thus, the wings (airfoils) of an aircraft are understood to be wing bodies within the meaning of the present invention, as are the horizontal and vertical stabilizers.

[0003] Modern commercial aircraft require special devices on their wings, known as high-lift systems, to generate the lift necessary to compensate for inertial forces during takeoff and landing. Two different designs are distinguished in the prior art: a) the extendable leading-edge slats and b) the Krueger flaps.

[0004] With retractable leading-edge slats, the wingtip is usually guided on rails and extended forward as needed. When retracted, they leave a gap or step on the upper surface of the wing's aerodynamic surface, preventing a laminar boundary layer from forming in that area. In contrast, Krueger flaps do not disturb the aerodynamic surface on the upper wing surface because they are deployed from the underside of the leading-edge slat.

[0005] In principle, the wing of a commercial aircraft has a wing box as its main component. This box has two diametrically opposed wing shells, which are held together inside the wing box by spars and ribs, thus ensuring the required airfoil contour of the wing. The wing box often also houses an internal fuel tank. Attached in front of the wing box, in the direction of airflow, is the leading edge slat, which connects the outer airfoil surface of the wing box (formed by the wing shells) with the outer airfoil surface of the leading edge slat to form a flow profile. Furthermore, the leading edge slat also incorporates the high-lift systems used in some aircraft. The leading edge slat often features a (particularly detachable) wing leading edge.

[0006] There are efforts underway to design the wings, particularly the leading edge slat and the wing box with its wing skins, as integral components, so that the slat and wing box are manufactured from a single component. While this would have the advantage of a disturbance-free flow surface, which generally has a positive effect on laminar flow, the leading edge slat, and especially parts of it such as the wing leading edge, are particularly vulnerable to damage on a commercial aircraft. This is due to frequent bird strikes, i.e., collisions with birds that damage the structure of the slat or the wing leading edge. In such an integral design, the leading edge slat, or parts of it, would no longer be replaceable, meaning that either the damaged structure would have to be repaired or the entire wing would have to be replaced. However, because a wing contains important elements such as...Since the wing contains a fuel tank, replacing the entire wing solely due to damage to the leading edge is not economically justifiable.

[0007] For this reason, despite the problems described in the differential construction of an airfoil and despite the obvious advantages of an integral construction, the differential construction is preferable from an economic perspective alone, since only in this way is it possible to replace a wing leading edge with adequate effort.

[0008] This construction method, however, results in a high degree of interdependence between the assemblies and assembly steps. Since the kinematics of the high-lift devices often extend through the spar, while the integral tank behind the spar must remain airtight, the assembly steps, as well as the existing tolerances and tolerance chains, extend all the way back to the assembly of the wing box. Therefore, there is a general trend towards modularizing the leading-edge slat elements, which involves their targeted separation from other assemblies to decouple assembly steps. This applies both to component tolerances and to the assembly timeline. Since the assembly of large components in commercial aircraft is usually distributed across several factory locations, this approach allows for a degree of independence and facilitates the easier integration of supplied assemblies, now with a higher level of integration.

[0009] WO 2021 / 037 981 A1 demonstrates, as an example, that the kinematics of the high-lift device are designed as a separate, box-like module and modified so that a spar penetration is no longer necessary. It is installed together with a leading edge on the wing box. The leading edge and the kinematic module thus remain coupled, and the installation is carried out as a single assembly. Consequently, construction options and division of labor are not as flexible as would be desirable.

[0010] As previously mentioned, current construction methods are characterized by high interdependencies between assemblies with regard to their tolerances, assembly times, and locations. To increase production flexibility, reduce assembly adjustments, and lower complexity and costs, it is desirable to decouple the assemblies in the leading edge slat. In practice, considerable effort is expended to adapt individual components during assembly. For example, holes in two components to be joined are usually drilled simultaneously to create a perfectly aligned bore. In the case of fiber-reinforced composite components, even with minimal positional deviations, the use of filler materials between the joining parts is usually necessary because, depending on the manufacturing process of the parts to be joined, uneven surfaces may be present, and the components are subject to material-inherent thickness variations.

[0011] Another factor that leads to rework is the statically indeterminate mounting of the leading edge. The leading edge is screwed to the ribs along its entire circumference, with each of these connections theoretically already covering all degrees of freedom on its own.

[0012] From DE 10 2012 109 233 A1, it is known to attach the leading edge of the wing to the wing box using internal fasteners, wherein the leading edge of the wing is attached to the rib extensions of the wing box. In the area of ​​the transition between the leading edge of the wing and the wing shell of the wing box, it is also provided to attach an L-profile to the leading edge of the wing using a rivet connection, in order to secure the leading edge of the wing to the wing box in the transition area.

[0013] From DE 29 07 912 A1, an aircraft wing with variable airfoil is known, in which a wing leading edge adjoining a wing box is designed by means of a hinge device in such a way that the U-shaped airfoil of the wing leading edge is deformable.

[0014] From US patent 2008 / 0128553 A1, a device and a method for connecting fiber composite components to other structural elements of an aircraft wing are known.

[0015] US 2010 / 0065687 A1 describes an aircraft arrangement in which a wing leading edge is connected to a wing box by attaching the wing leading edge in a joining section by means of pins or screws to angles arranged on a spar of the wing box structure.

[0016] From EP 3 421 355 A1, an arrangement of a wing leading edge to a wing box is known, in which a rib stiffening of the wing leading edge is arranged on a hinged connection whose axis of rotation extends across the span, in order to simplify the assembly of the wing leading edge. The disadvantage here is that this degree of freedom must be restricted by an additional connection of the skin to the wing box, resulting in a statically indeterminate solution.

[0017] German patent application DE 10 2011 108 883 A1 discloses a connection concept for attaching a wing leading edge to a wing box, in which connecting elements are passed through the flow surface. An overhang of the wing shell of the wing box is pushed under the skin of the leading edge and hooked into a clamping element.

[0018] From DE 10 2015 105 298 A1 and DE 10 2015 105 299 A1, wing structures are known in which the rib extensions of the wing ribs are movably arranged at a mounting section of the leading edge, while a free-standing section adjoins this and extends to the wing box. This allows thermally induced deformations during flight to be compensated for.

[0019] US Patent 2010 / 065687A1 discloses an arrangement of a wing leading edge to a wing box, wherein the skin of the wing leading edge is attached to the leading edge spar by fastening elements. The leading edge ribs are also screwed directly to the leading edge spar.

[0020] US 2019 / 0 176 960 A1 discloses an arrangement of a wing leading edge on a wing box in which a rib stiffening of the wing leading edge is arranged to a hinged connection whose axis of rotation extends across the span to simplify the assembly of the wing leading edge.

[0021] US Patent 3,780,969 A discloses a wing box in which the wing shell is closed in the wing cross-section. This means that in the cross-section of the wing, the actual wing shell is completely closed and formed in one piece.

[0022] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved wing body with which a modular construction can be realized.

[0023] The problem is solved by the wing body according to claim 1 according to the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can then be found, inter alia, in the dependent claims.

[0024] According to claim 1, a wing body for aircraft is claimed, wherein the wing body, according to its generic form, has a wing box having a leading edge spar extending across the wingspan, on which a first wing box shell and an opposing second wing box shell are arranged to form a first part of an outer flow surface. Depending on its size and design, the wing box may also have further spars on which the wing box shells are arranged, e.g., a trailing edge spar. Furthermore, the wing box may have ribs extending in the direction of the airflow or in the direction of the wing chord and arranged transversely to the spars. Additionally, the wing box may have stiffening elements in the form of stringers or bulkheads arranged on the inner side of the wing shells for stabilization.In the case of large commercial aircraft, such a wing box typically has a fuel tank located behind the leading edge spar, which necessitates special precautions for the arrangement of a leading edge slat positioned in front of the wing box in the direction of airflow.

[0025] The wing body further features a leading edge slat, which is positioned in front of the wing box in the direction of airflow and has a plurality of leading edge slat ribs extending transversely to the leading edge spar. A leading edge slat shell is attached to these ribs to form a second part of the outer airflow surface. These leading edge slat ribs are not directly connected to the ribs in the wing box and are independent components. The leading edge slat shell, which typically extends in a curve from the leading edge of the first wing box shell to the leading edge of the second wing box shell, preferably in one piece, is connected to the leading edge slat ribs on its inner side, thus creating a stabilized wing leading edge.

[0026] It is conceivable that the leading edge slat shell has corresponding fastening elements on the inside, to which the leading edge slat ribs are attached, particularly in a detachable manner. However, it is also conceivable that the leading edge slat shell and the leading edge slat ribs are manufactured as a single piece.

[0027] The leading edge slat, together with the slat shell and the slat ribs, is then attached to the wing box as a separate module. For this purpose, the wing body has multiple rib attachment points on the leading edge spar to secure the slat ribs to the wing box.

[0028] According to the invention, at least one leading edge rib is attached to the respective rib receptacle by means of a rib fastening arrangement, which has at least two spaced-apart fastening sections in order to fix the respective leading edge rib to the corresponding rib receptacle in a rotationally fixed manner. The fastening sections are arranged in particular in the direction of the wing thickness.

[0029] The term "rotationally fixed attachment" here refers specifically to a restriction of the rotational degree of freedom around a span-spanning axis of rotation. The leading edge slat is thus fixed to the wing box or the leading edge spar in a rotationally fixed manner, and its rotational degree of freedom is restricted in its cross-section.

[0030] The rib mounts on the leading edge spar can be integrally formed as part of the manufacturing process. However, it is also conceivable that the rib mounts on the leading edge spar can be subsequently attached to it using suitable fasteners. Since the rib mounts allow for additional tolerance compensation when connecting the leading edge slat ribs, they can be directly attached during the wing box manufacturing process or, in final assembly, through pre-drilled holes.

[0031] Advantageously, the leading edge slat shell is connected at its first end to the front end of the first wing box shell and at its second end to the front end of the second wing box shell by means of a wing shell fastening arrangement. This wing shell fastening arrangement is designed, in particular, to connect the leading edge slat shell to the respective wing box shell in the wing depth direction without providing an additional rotationally rigid connection about a span-wide axis of rotation. This is because such a connection is already achieved by the arrangement of the leading edge slat rib on the rib receptacle, thus avoiding a statically indeterminate support.

[0032] The wingspan of the wing body is understood to be its longitudinal extent extending from the fuselage and away from it. The chord direction describes the extent of the wing body in the plane of the airflow, and the thickness direction, or airfoil height, describes the extent of the wing body perpendicular to both the wingspan and the chord direction.

[0033] If the wing body is an aircraft wing, the wingspan is aligned in the direction of the aircraft's lateral axis (pitch axis), the wing depth direction is aligned in the direction of the aircraft's longitudinal axis (roll axis), and the wing thickness direction or profile height is aligned in the direction of the vertical axis (yaw axis).

[0034] The orientations of a vertical stabilizer are equivalent to this. The direction away from the fuselage is the wingspan, the direction in the direction of airflow is the depth direction, and the direction perpendicular to both is the thickness direction.

[0035] The leading edge slat is mounted to the leading edge slat and its ribs in the wing chord direction, the wing thickness direction, and across the span, as well as being rotationally fixed along the spanwise axis of rotation. A wing shell mounting arrangement, in which the leading edge slat shell is preferably fixed only in the wing chord direction, results in a statically determinate mounting, thus avoiding a (highly) statically indeterminate mounting. This simplifies final assembly and saves weight, thereby reducing fuel consumption.

[0036] The present invention thus makes it possible to combine several advantages. For example, on a wing body with high-lift devices, decoupling of the kinematics and the leading edge can be achieved. The mounting of the leading edge slat or the wing leading edge to the wing box can therefore be carried out independently of the assembly of the kinematics and the manufacturing of the wing box. The rib mounts on the leading edge spar, which are provided during the manufacturing of the wing box, shift the tolerance compensation during the mounting of the leading edge slat to the rib mount. This avoids oversized bores for tolerance compensation in the leading edge spar, which can adversely affect the sealing of the fuel tank behind it or require more complex sealing solutions. Furthermore, this design allows for statically determinate bearing in the cross-section, thereby saving weight.Furthermore, this design enables dust-free final assembly (no joint drilling of the components to be joined in the assembly process) of the leading edge slat to the wing box, since the tolerance compensation - already mentioned - has been shifted to the rib mounting.

[0037] All components mentioned here can be made from a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a fiber material and a matrix material embedding the fiber material. The resulting additional requirements for the precision of fit during the final assembly of the leading edge slat to the wing box can be addressed by the modular construction method proposed here.

[0038] In final assembly, the wing box and leading edge slat form two separate components or modules, which can optionally be joined together with a kinematic system for high-lift devices in a single assembly step. The mounting of the leading edge slat to the wing box is particularly dust-free; that is, it is not necessary to drill a hole in the leading edge slat or the wing box during assembly, as these holes are already created before the actual assembly.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the at least two fastening sections of a respective rib mount are arranged on the leading edge spar in alignment both transversely to the span and transversely to the wing depth direction.

[0040] Accordingly, the two attachment sections run essentially parallel to the wing thickness direction, i.e., from the first wing box shell towards the second wing box shell. The leading edge slat is thus attached to the wing box in a first area of ​​the first wing box shell by the first attachment section and in a separate second area of ​​the second wing box shell by the second attachment section. This results from the design of the leading edge slat rib, which extends in a plane defined by the wing chord direction and the wing thickness direction, and perpendicular to the wingspan.

[0041] This fastening method ensures that the leading edge slat is mounted to the front spar in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the respective rib mounts extend along the leading edge both transversely to the wingspan and transversely to the wing depth direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, the entire rib mount is almost a single piece and extends along the leading edge of the wing, with at least two mounting sections provided for each rib mount. It is conceivable that the mounting sections each have rib mounting arrangements that are spatially discrete, i.e., the leading edge rib is only attached in the respective mounting sections. However, it is also conceivable that the rib mount has a continuous mounting, so that the transitions from the first mounting section to the second mounting section are gradual and not spatially discrete.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the respective rib mounts are provided to have an H-shaped, a T-shaped or an L-shaped profile cross-section.

[0045] In an H-shaped rib mount, one leg of the H-shaped profile is attached to the leading edge spar, while the opposite leg is designed to attach the leading edge rib. This shifts the area of ​​the leading edge spar to which a leading edge slat can be attached forward in the direction of airflow and decouples it from the spar itself. As a result, holes drilled in the wing chord direction are now routed through the second leg of the H-shaped profile of the rib mount, rather than through the leading edge spar itself. These holes may have an oversize to compensate for manufacturing tolerances of the leading edge rib or the entire leading edge slat assembly.

[0046] In contrast, with an L-shaped or T-shaped profile cross-section, the bore is drilled axially to the span to attach the leading edge rib to the wing box. This simplifies installation, particularly when space within the leading edge slat is limited. The two mounting sections, aligned transversely to the span, create a rotationally rigid bearing, preventing rotation around a spanwise axis.

[0047] According to one embodiment, at least one of the rib fastening arrangements is designed to form a positive locking connection between the leading edge rib and the respective rib receptacle in the span, in the wing depth direction and / or transversely to both.

[0048] Such a positive-locking fixation of the leading edge slat rib to the rib receptacle within the mounting sections can be achieved, for example, by screws, rivets, or bolts with a locking pin. Other positive-locking fixings are also conceivable. In this case, the rib receptacle has a bore within the respective mounting section that essentially corresponds to a bore in the leading edge slat rib. During assembly, a fastening element is inserted through the bore in the leading edge rib and the rib receptacle and fastened accordingly. Eccentric bushings, for example, can be used, in which the outer circumference is not concentric with the inner opening. By rotating the eccentric bushings, manufacturing tolerances of the bores can be compensated for. In this way, tolerances, particularly in the direction of wing thickness and wing chord, can be compensated for when L-shaped rib receptacles are used.If, however, H-shaped rib mounts are used, the manufacturing tolerances in the wing thickness direction and wingspan can be compensated for by using such eccentric bushings. Depending on the profile cross-section of the rib mount, the remaining degree of freedom can be compensated for by using spacers.

[0049] Fasteners can be secured, for example, by a locking pin or a screw on a thread.

[0050] According to one embodiment, it is provided that at least one of the rib fastening arrangements is designed for the positive locking fixation of the leading edge rib to the respective rib receptacle by means of a dovetail joint.

[0051] In a dovetail joint, a first form element is located at the rib attachment point, which interacts with a second form element of the leading edge rib to create a positive-locking connection. This positive-locking connection exists primarily in the wingspan and chord directions, although appropriate locking elements can also provide fixation in the wing thickness direction. The positive locking occurs particularly perpendicular to the dovetail.

[0052] According to one embodiment, at least one of the rib fastening arrangements for positive locking fixation of the leading edge rib to the respective rib receptacle has at least one bore in the leading edge rib and the rib receptacle in at least one fastening section, into which a fastening element is guided.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the flow body has at least one first wing shell fastening arrangement for fastening the first wing box shell to the leading edge slat shell, which is designed to positively lock the leading edge slat shell to the first wing box shell in such a way that the leading edge slat shell is fixed in the wing depth direction.

[0054] By fixing the leading edge slat shell to the first wing box shell in the wing depth direction, a statically determinate bearing (in cross-section) of the leading edge slat as a whole is achieved, since no additional bearing of the leading edge slat shell in another degree of freedom is necessary. According to one embodiment, the aerodynamic body is provided with a second wing shell mounting arrangement for attaching the second wing box shell to the leading edge slat shell.

[0055] This allows both sides of the leading edge slat shell to be fixed accordingly, i.e., the first side of the leading edge slat shell to the first wing box shell and the second side of the leading edge slat shell to the second wing box shell.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the wing shell fastening arrangement has two interlocking locking elements, wherein the first locking element is connected to the respective wing box shell or the leading edge spar and the second locking element is connected to the leading edge slat shell.

[0057] The locking elements are designed to interlock, thus fixing the leading edge slat shell to the respective wing box shell in the wing chord direction. Specifically, this fixing occurs in the plane of the wing shells in the wing chord direction.

[0058] For example, it is conceivable that one of the locking elements has a groove and the other locking element has a tongue to form a tongue-and-groove connection, whereby the tongue is positively fixed in the groove by an undercut, so that the leading edge slat shell is fixed in the wing depth direction.

[0059] Such a tongue-and-groove connection results in the leading edge of the leading edge being fixed to the respective wing box shell in the wing chord direction. A rotational fixation around a span-wide axis is not required, as this is achieved by fixing the leading edge rib to the rib mount. Therefore, no statically indeterminate support is created.

[0060] According to one embodiment, it is provided that one or both locking elements form at least part of the flow surface.

[0061] In principle, the two locking elements, or even just one of them, can be arranged inside the wing body and interlock in such a way that the outer flow surface is formed by the respective wing shell. However, it is also conceivable that one or both of the locking elements are designed to form part of the flow surface when locked together, thus fixing the wing shells to each other.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the wing shell fastening arrangement has two profile receptacles, wherein the first profile receptacle is connected to the respective wing box shell or the leading edge spar and the second profile receptacle is connected to the leading edge slat shell, wherein the profile receptacles interact positively with a common form element extending from the first profile receptacle to the second profile receptacle in such a way that the leading edge slat shell is fixed in the wing depth direction.

[0063] Due to its profiled shape, such a form element has a positive fit with the individual airfoil mounts, thus fixing the leading edge slat shell in the wing chord direction, more precisely in the plane of the wing shells in the wing chord direction. The common form element engages with a positive-locking profile of the two airfoil mounts and is thereby fixed in the plane of the wing shells in the wing chord direction.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the molded element may have a corrugated profile or a trapezoidal profile and the profile recesses may have a surface shape corresponding to the corrugated profile or trapezoidal profile.

[0065] The structural element can exhibit direction-dependent bending stiffness, meaning, for example, a higher bending stiffness in the span direction than in the wing chord direction. This direction-dependent bending stiffness can be achieved through profiling, such as using a corrugated or trapezoidal profile. However, direction-dependent bending stiffness can also be achieved through a material property. For instance, the structural element can be made of a fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a fiber material and a matrix material embedding the fiber material, whereby the material property for direction-dependent bending stiffness is utilized through appropriate fiber orientation or angles.

[0066] The invention is explained by way of example with reference to the attached figures. They show: Fig. 1. Schematic cross-sectional diagram of a wing body; Fig. 2 Schematic structure of a wing body in a first embodiment with H-shaped rib attachment; Fig. 3 Schematic structure of a wing body in a second embodiment with L-shaped rib attachment; Fig. 4 Schematic structure of a wing body with a forward-facing rib attachment; Fig. 5 Schematic structure of a wing shell fastening arrangement in a first embodiment; Fig. 6 Schematic structure of a wing shell fastening arrangement in a second embodiment; Fig. 7 Schematic structure of a rib fastening arrangement in an embodiment with filling material.

[0067] The following figures schematically illustrate the basic principle of the present invention. Identical components are defined in the figures by the same reference numerals.

[0068] Fig. Figure 1 shows a highly simplified cross-sectional view of the structure of a wing body 10. The depicted wing body has a wing box 11 which includes a leading edge spar 12 extending across the wingspan ( Fig. 2). A first wing box shell 13 and a second wing box shell 14 are attached to this leading edge spar 12 and to other components not shown. A leading edge slat 15, forming the wing leading edge 16, is also arranged in the direction of airflow ahead of the leading edge spar 12. The leading edge slat 15 has a leading edge shell 17 that extends from one end 13a of the first wing box shell, across the wing leading edge 16, to a second end 14a of the second wing box shell, thus connecting the two wing box shells 13 and 14 to form a common airfoil. This creates a substantially continuous flow surface.

[0069] A cover 18 can be provided on the underside of the leading edge slat 15 or the leading edge slat shell 17 to provide access to the interior of the leading edge slat 15. The kinematics required for the high-lift devices are typically housed here.

[0070] According to the present invention, the leading edge slat 15 is to be attached to the wing box 11 in a modular construction, whereby a statically indeterminate bearing arrangement is to be avoided. Therefore, the leading edge slat 15 is to be fixed in the wing chord direction 100 and in the wing thickness direction 102 and, furthermore, its rotational degree of freedom 104 is to be restricted, in which the axis of rotation is defined in the span. In the sectional view of the Fig. 1. The degree of freedom of the span is taken out of the representation.

[0071] Fig. Figure 2 now shows the wing body 10 according to the invention in a first embodiment with an H-shaped rib receptacle 19. The H-shaped rib receptacle 19 is attached to the leading edge spar 12, the assembly of the rib receptacle 19 being able to take place either during the manufacturing process of the leading edge spar 12 or during the subsequent assembly process of the wing box 11. On the right side of the Fig. Figure 2 is a top view of the cross-section of the wing body 10 shown on the left.

[0072] The leading edge slat rib 20 is attached to the rib receptacle 19, with the leading edge slat shell 17 of the leading edge slat 15 being attached to the leading edge slat rib 20. This attachment can be either modular or one-piece.

[0073] The leading edge rib 20 has a flange 21 for attachment to the H-shaped rib receptacle 19, which corresponds to a leg of the H-shaped rib receptacle 19. Fastening elements 22, which in the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. Since the flange 21 of the leading edge rib 20 is only indicated on the right side, it is positively fixed to the H-shaped rib receptacle 19, whereby the leading edge rib is attached to the front spar 12 via the H-shaped rib receptacle 19.

[0074] To achieve a rotational degree of freedom of 104 ( Fig. 1) To limit accordingly, the fixing is carried out using the fastening elements 22 on the rib receptacle 19 on at least two fastening sections 23a, 23b, which are provided spaced apart from each other in the case of discrete fastening mechanisms such as screws, bolts or rivets.

[0075] Furthermore, the degrees of freedom in the wing depth direction 100 and wing thickness direction 102 are also fixed by the fastening elements 22 in the at least two fastening sections 23a, 23b, resulting in a statically determinate bearing.

[0076] The leading edge slat shell 17, on the other hand, is attached to a wing shell fastening arrangement 24a, 24b, so that the leading edge slat shell 17 is fixed at the transition from the leading edge slat shell to the respective wing box shell at least in the wing thickness direction 102 and thus a smooth transition in the flow surface is realized.

[0077] In the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. 2. The two wing box shells 13, 14 are shifted slightly beyond the leading edge spar 12 towards the leading edge slat 15 and thus project beyond the leading edge spar 12 against the direction of airflow. A first end of the leading edge slat shell 17 is attached to the first wing box shell 13 by the first wing shell attachment assembly 24a, while the second wing shell attachment assembly 24b connects the second end of the leading edge slat shell 17 to the second wing box shell 14. The second wing shell attachment assembly 24b extends beyond the cover 18 and thus secures the second end of the leading edge slat shell 17.

[0078] Fig. Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which the rib receptacle 25 is L-shaped. Here too, the fastening is effected by means of the fastening elements 22 to two spaced-apart fastening sections 23a, 23b in order to restrict the rotational degree of freedom 104 accordingly.

[0079] Fig. Figure 4 shows an embodiment in which the rib receptacle 19, 25 extends very far into the leading edge slat 15 and itself forms a kind of stiffening rib. In this case, the first wing box shell 13 is also extended forward to the transition between the rib receptacle 19, 25 and the leading edge slat rib 20, where the first wing shell mounting arrangement 24a can then be located. This allows, for example, the gap beyond the cover 18 to be bridged, with the second wing shell mounting arrangement 24b then being located at the front end of the cover 18.

[0080] Fig. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the first wing shell fastening arrangement 24a to connect an end of the leading edge slat shell 17 with the first wing box shell 13 in a form-fitting manner at least in the wing depth direction 100 in the plane of the wing shells.

[0081] For this purpose, the wing shell mounting arrangement 24a has two profile mounts 26, 27, each attached to an inner surface 28 of the wing shells 13, 17. The first profile mount 26 is connected to the inner surface 28 of the wing box shell 13, while the second profile mount 27 is connected to the inner surface 28 of the leading edge slat shell 17. Alternatively, the first profile mount 26 can also be arranged on the leading edge spar (not shown).

[0082] Between the inner surface 28 and the respective profile receptacle 26 there is a cavity 29. The profile surface of the respective profile receptacle 26, 27 facing the inner surface 28 has a profiled cross-sectional shape, which in Fig. 5 is trapezoidal.

[0083] A common form element 30 can now be inserted into this cavity 29, which also has a trapezoidal profiled cross-section that corresponds to the cross-section of the individual profile mounts 26, 27.

[0084] Is the common form element 30, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, when inserted into the cavity 29, a positive-locking connection is achieved in the wing depth direction 100. This is because the cavity 29 is bounded on its upper side by the inner surface 28, preventing the common element 30 from sliding over the profiled trapezoidal shape of the profile mounts 26, 27. This is because any upward movement to overcome the profiled shape under a force in the depth direction is limited by the inner surface 28 of the respective wing shells 13, 17.

[0085] However, this connection does not restrict the rotational degrees of freedom, which is also unnecessary due to the rib recess, which already limits these degrees of freedom. Thus, a statically indeterminate support is avoided.

[0086] Such a wing shell attachment arrangement, as used in Fig. 5 and subsequently also in Fig. The illustration shown in Figure 6 can also be applied to the second wing shell fastening arrangement 24b.

[0087] Fig. Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a wing shell fastening arrangement 24a, which is designed to fasten the first wing box shell 13 to one end of the leading edge slat shell 17 in such a way that a positive locking fixation of the leading edge slat shell 17 takes place in the wing depth direction 100.

[0088] In the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. 6 The wing shell fastening arrangement 24a has two locking elements 31, 32, which are arranged on the respective wing shell. The first locking element 31 is arranged on the first wing box shell 13, while the second locking element 32 is attached to the leading edge slat shell 17. In the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. The locking elements 31, 32 are attached to the respective wing shells by means of a screw connection 33, which passes through the outer flow surface of the wing shells 13, 17. The locking elements 31, 32 each have a locking section 31a, 32a, within which the two locking elements 31, 32 form a positive-locking connection. The two locking sections 31a, 32a are designed such that they form part of the outer flow surface of the entire wing body.

[0089] The first locking element 31 has a groove 31b on its end face into which a spring 32b of the second locking element 32 can be engaged and / or fixed. The spring 32b projects from the end face of the second locking element in the direction of 32b of the first locking element 31 and is designed such that when the spring is inserted into the groove 31b of the first locking element, a positive-locking connection is created, resulting in a positive-locking fixation in the wing depth direction 100.

[0090] Fig. Figure 7 shows a special embodiment in which an H-shaped rib receptacle 19 is provided, to which a leading edge slat rib 20 is attached by means of two screws. To compensate for tolerances in the wing chord direction, a filler material 34 is introduced between the rib receptacle 19 and the leading edge slat rib 20. Reference symbol list 10 wing bodies 11 wing boxes 12 Front rail 13 first wing box shell 13a an end of the first wing box shell 14 second wing box shell 14a one end of the second wing box shell 15 Leading slats 16 Wing leading edge 17 Leading edge slat shell 18 lids 19 Rib attachment / H-shaped rib attachment 20 Leading slat rib 21 Flange of the leading edge rib 22 fasteners 23a first fastening section 23b second fastening sections 24a first wing shell fastening arrangement 24b second wing shell attachment arrangement 25 Rib attachment / L-shaped rib attachment 26 first profile shot 27 second profile shot 28 Inner side / inner wall of the wing shells 29 Cavity 30 Form element 31 first locking element 31a Resting section of the first resting element 31b Nut 32 second locking element 32a Resting section of the second resting element 32b spring 33 Fastening elements of the locking elements 34 Filling mass

Claims

[1] Wing body (10) for flying objects, comprising - a wing box (11) having a leading spar (12) extending over the span, on which a first wing box shell (13) and an opposing second wing box shell (14) are arranged to form a first part of an outer flow surface, - a leading edge slat (15) arranged in the direction of flow in front of the wing box (11), which has a plurality of leading edge slat ribs (20) extending transversely to the leading edge spar (12), on which a leading edge slat shell (17) is arranged to form a second part of the outer flow surface, and - a plurality of rib mounts (19, 25) provided on the leading edge spar (12) and designed for attaching the leading edge ribs (20) in order to arrange the leading edge slat (15) on the wing box (11), characterized by , that - at least one leading edge rib (20) is attached to the respective rib receptacle (19, 25) by means of a rib fastening arrangement which has at least two fastening sections (23a, 23b) spaced apart from each other in the wing thickness direction (102) in order to fix the respective leading edge rib (20) to the corresponding rib receptacle (19, 25) in a rotationally fixed manner. [2] Wing body (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the at least two fastening sections (23a, 23b) of a respective rib mount (19, 25) are arranged in alignment on the leading edge spar (12) both transversely to the span and transversely to the wing depth direction. [3] Wing body (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the respective rib mounts (19, 25) extend both transversely to the wingspan and transversely to the wing depth direction on the leading edge spar (12). [4] Wing body (10) according to claim 3, characterized by, that the respective rib mounts (19, 25) have an H-shaped, T-shaped or L-shaped profile cross-section. [5] Wing body (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one of the rib fastening arrangements is designed to form a positive locking fixation of the leading edge rib (20) to the respective rib receptacle (19, 25) in the span, in the wing depth direction (100) and / or transverse to both. [6] Wing body (10) according to claim 5, characterized by , that at least one of the rib fastening arrangements is designed for the positive locking fixation of the leading edge rib (20) to the respective rib receptacle (19, 25) by means of a dovetail joint. [7] Wing body (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by, that at least one of the rib fastening arrangements (10) for positive locking fixation of the leading edge slat rib (20) to the respective rib receptacle (19, 25) has at least one bore in the leading edge slat rib (20) and the rib receptacle (19, 25) in at least one fastening section (23a, 23b) into which a fastening element (22) is guided. [8] Wing body (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the wing body (10) has at least one first wing shell fastening arrangement (24a) for fastening the first wing box shell (13) to the leading edge slat shell (17), which is designed for positive locking fixation of the leading edge slat shell (17) to the first wing box shell (13) in such a way that the leading edge slat shell (17) is fixed in the wing depth direction. [9] Wing body (10) according to claim 8, characterized by, that the wing body (10) has a second wing shell attachment arrangement (24b) for attaching the second wing box shell (14) to the leading edge slat shell (17). [10] Wing body (10) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by , that the wing shell fastening arrangement (24a, 24b) has two interlocking locking elements (31, 32), wherein the first locking element (31) is connected to the respective wing box shell (13, 14) or the leading edge spar (12) and the second locking element (32) is connected to the leading edge slat shell (17). [11] Wing body (10) according to claim 10, characterized by , that one or both of the resting elements (31, 32) form at least part of the flow surface. [12] Wing body (10) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by, that in one of the locking elements (31 ,32) a groove (31b) and in the other locking element (31, 32) a tongue (31b) is provided to form a tongue-and-groove connection, wherein the tongue (31b) is positively fixed in the groove (31b) by an undercut, so that the leading edge slat shell (17) is fixed in the wing depth direction. [13] Wing body (10) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by , that the wing shell fastening arrangement (24a, 24b) has two profile mounts (26, 27), wherein the first profile mount (26) is connected to the respective wing box shell (13, 14) or the leading edge spar (12) and the second profile mount (27) is connected to the leading edge slat shell (17), wherein the profile mounts (26, 27) interact positively with a common form element (30) which extends from the first profile mount (26) to the second profile mount (27) such that the leading edge slat shell (17) is fixed in the wing depth direction. [14] Wing body (10) according to claim 13, characterized by , that the form element (30) has a corrugated profile or a trapezoidal profile and the profile recesses (26, 27) have a surface shape corresponding to the corrugated profile or trapezoidal profile.

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