Aircraft Wing Bracket for Rib Replacement Without Skin Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cantilever ribs used to mount aircraft control surfaces, such as flaps, are prone to damage and require frequent replacement, which involves deforming the wing skin, a process that can cause damage to composite materials and affect aerodynamic characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system that allows the cantilever rib to be replaced without deforming the wing skin, by using brackets that are bolted to the spar and skin panels, enabling the rib to be inserted and removed through a narrow opening without spreading the skin, thus maintaining the skin's integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the wing skin is spread to replace the cantilever rib, then the rib can be removed and replaced, but the wing skin is damaged and its aerodynamic characteristics are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the mounting structure into separate components: a bracket that remains fixed to the wing skin and spar, and a rib that can be independently removed. The bracket is bolted to the skin and spar, creating a stable mounting point that does not require deforming the skin. The rib attaches to the bracket through a mounting portion, allowing the rib to be replaced without touching or damaging the skin panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket serves as an intermediary component between the wing skin/spar and the cantilever rib. It provides a rigid mounting interface that transfers loads from the rib to the skin and spar without requiring the skin to be deformed. The bracket's mounting portion engages with the rib, enabling rib replacement while the bracket itself remains fixed to the undamaged skin.
2Ease of manufacture
If the wing skin is spread to install the rib, then the rib can be mounted between the skin panels, but composite materials are damaged and aerodynamic performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is pre-installed and secured to the wing skin and spar before the rib is attached. This preliminary action creates a ready-made mounting structure that eliminates the need to spread the skin during rib installation. The bracket's mounting portion is positioned and secured in advance, so when the rib is installed, it simply engages with the pre-positioned bracket without requiring any deformation of the skin panels.
3Strength
If the rib dimension is larger than the opening width, then the rib can be securely mounted, but the rib cannot be inserted without spreading the skin
Solution Approach 1:
The solution changes the dimensional approach by using a bracket that extends the mounting interface beyond the narrow opening between skin panels. The bracket is attached to both the skin and the spar, utilizing the three-dimensional space available at the spar location. This allows the rib's mounting portion to engage with the bracket in a way that is not constrained by the narrow opening width between skin panels, enabling secure mounting without skin deformation.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft wing includes a rear spar, a first skin, a second skin overhanging and converging to an opening of width (A), a support structure including a bracket engaging the spar and skins and a rib engaging the bracket via a rib attachment portion with a dimension (C) less than dimension (A).