Wing-to-fuselage joint using composite unitary skin

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional aircraft manufacturing methods using aluminum materials require complex structures assembled from multiple components, leading to localized stress concentrations and engineering challenges when integrating composite materials into airframe designs optimized for aluminum construction.

Innovation Solution

The use of composite materials to create continuous, unitary structures with complex contours for wing-to-fuselage joints, where a single skin segment defines multiple surfaces, distributing stress across a larger area and minimizing fatigue, and incorporating a single forward-most wing spar that spans the left, center, and right wing regions to enhance load distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional aluminum materials are used for wing-to-fuselage joints, then the structure can be assembled from multiple components, but this leads to localized stress concentrations and complex assembly requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly processVSAvoidstress distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple discrete aluminum components into a single integrated composite structure for the wing-to-fuselage joint. This eliminates the need for assembling multiple components with fasteners, thereby reducing localized stress concentrations while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through composite material forming processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite materials to create a unitary wing-to-fuselage joint structure that combines the benefits of multiple materials. This allows the structure to be formed as a continuous piece with optimized stress distribution, avoiding the stress concentrations inherent in traditional aluminum assemblies while enabling complex geometric contours

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If composite materials are used to create continuous unitary structures, then stress is distributed more effectively, but engineering and manufacturing difficulties arise when integrating into traditional aluminum airframe designs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefatigue resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using composite materials specifically for the wing-to-fuselage joint where stress distribution is critical, while potentially maintaining traditional aluminum construction in other parts of the airframe. This targeted approach provides fatigue resistance where needed without requiring complete redesign of the entire airframe structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the airframe into distinct zones: the composite wing-to-fuselage joint and the traditional aluminum airframe structure. This allows the composite joint to be manufactured and integrated as a discrete component, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while still achieving the fatigue resistance benefits of continuous composite structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple distinct components are used to form the wing-to-fuselage joint, then the structure can accommodate aluminum material constraints, but this increases the number of fasteners and fittings required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial compatibilityVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple discrete components into a single integrated composite structure for the wing-to-fuselage joint. This eliminates the need for numerous fasteners, fittings, and joints while maintaining adaptability to airframe requirements through the flexibility of composite material forming and tailoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10766598B2Wing-to-fuselage joints and aircraft including the same

Publication Date: 2020.09.08 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

Wing-to-fuselage joints and aircraft including the same. An aircraft includes a fuselage with an outer fuselage skin that at least partially defines an outer surface of the fuselage and a wing assembly operably coupled to the fuselage via a wing-to-fuselage joint. The wing assembly includes a left wing region with a lower left-wing-region skin and an upper left-wing-region skin, a right wing region with a lower right-wing-region skin and an upper right-wing-region skin, and a center wing region with a lower center-wing-region skin. The outer fuselage skin is coextensive with the lower center-wing-region skin.