Spacer-Oriented Joining Structure for Curved Wing Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for joining aircraft engine mounting pylons to wings face challenges due to the mismatch in curvature between the flat pylon and curved wing surfaces, requiring complex and costly interface plates to ensure precise alignment and load transmission, which are time-consuming and difficult to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
The use of components with recesses and spacer elements that are precisely oriented and shaped to match the interface surfaces, allowing for a preselected relative orientation and efficient load transfer, reducing the need for complex machining and enabling simpler assembly processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a flat pylon surface is attached directly to a curved wing surface, then the attachment area is small, but the curvature mismatch creates gaps that prevent effective load transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces interface components with curved contact surfaces that fit against the curved wing surface, acting as intermediaries between the flat pylon and curved wing. These interface components have recesses that receive spacers, which provide the necessary curvature matching and increase the effective contact area, enabling both large contact area and effective load transmission simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The interface between pylon and wing is segmented into multiple discrete contact points through recesses and spacers rather than attempting a continuous surface contact. This segmentation allows each spacer to be precisely oriented to match the local curvature of the wing surface, achieving effective load transmission across the curved interface while maintaining a compact design
2Manufacturing precision
If complex interface plates are used to match curvature and ensure alignment, then joining precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The desired relative orientation between pylon and wing is built into the interface components during manufacturing. The recesses are formed with preselected orientations and the spacers are positioned within these recesses to establish the correct geometry before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex field adjustments and ensures precise alignment while simplifying the overall interface design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the interface components, specifically the curvature radius of the contact surfaces, to match the wing surface geometry. By adjusting these parameters during the design and manufacturing phase, the interface components naturally conform to the curved wing surface, achieving precise alignment without complex machining operations
3Strength
If conventional joining methods are used for curved surfaces, then load transmission is maintained, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interface components concentrate the load transmission function in specific localized areas through the recesses and spacers rather than requiring a complex continuous contact surface. Each spacer is locally optimized to match the wing curvature at its specific location, enabling effective load transmission while simplifying the overall manufacturing process through standardized components
Data Source
AI summary
A component which is configured to be joined to a further component in a preselected relative orientation is disclosed. The further component has an interface surface and the component is configured to contact the interface surface when joined to the further component. The component includes a surface disposed on a side of the component intended to face the interface surface when the components are joined, a plurality of recesses formed in the surface, and a plurality of spacer elements. Each recess has a preselected orientation relative to the component, the preselected orientation being selected in dependence on the preselected relative orientation. Each spacer element comprises a contact surface configured to contact the interface surface when the components are joined. Each spacer element is disposed in one of the recesses such that the orientation of a given contact surface is defined by the orientation of the corresponding recess.