Winglet Attachment System Using Nested Retainer and Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winglet attachment systems for aircraft are cumbersome and time-consuming to interchange, particularly in complex geometries, requiring significant effort and reworking, which hinders rapid exchange or installation.
Innovation Solution
A winglet attachment system featuring a connector with a retainer and thrust bearings that allows for quick and secure attachment and detachment, utilizing spigots and recesses for alignment, and a threaded system for easy installation and removal, with a faring for sealing, enabling rapid and efficient interchangeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional butt strap fittings are used to attach winglets to wing portions, then the connection is secure and reliable, but the interchange of parts takes considerable time and effort due to the large number of components that need to be removed and refitted
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into distinct modular components: a connector with an internal cavity, a retainer that fits within the connector, and a winglet with a corresponding opening. This segmentation allows the retainer and connector to be pre-assembled as a unit, reducing the number of separate operations required during interchange while maintaining secure connection through the distributed functional elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer is nested within the connector, with the retainer's outer surface fitting into the connector's internal cavity. This nested configuration consolidates multiple attachment functions into a compact integrated assembly, allowing the entire retention mechanism to be installed or removed as a single unit rather than requiring sequential assembly of multiple separate components.
2Reliability
If complex wing geometries are used, then the aerodynamic performance is improved, but achieving the required tolerances becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer and connector are designed with pre-configured geometric features including tapered surfaces and alignment elements that establish correct positioning before final assembly. This preliminary configuration of geometric relationships reduces the precision requirements for the final tolerance-critical interfaces, as the alignment is partially established by the inherent geometry of the nested components rather than requiring high-precision machining of all surfaces.
3Productivity
If rapid exchange of winglets is implemented, then the operational flexibility and maintenance efficiency are improved, but the connection security and structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connector and retainer incorporate curved and tapered surfaces that provide progressive engagement during assembly. The curved geometry creates a self-aligning mechanism that guides the components into proper position, while the tapered surfaces generate increasing contact pressure as the components are assembled, ensuring secure connection without requiring excessive assembly force or complex fastening procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A winglet for attachment to a wing portion of an aircraft is disclosed having a winglet tip and a winglet root opposite from the winglet tip. The winglet has an opening for receiving therethrough a connector for connecting the winglet to a wing portion in use. The winglet has a retainer internal of the winglet for use in retaining the connector relative to the winglet. The retainer has a hole that extends along an axis that passes through the opening for receiving therethrough a portion of the connector when the connector is located through the opening. The retainer includes a body for reacting against a retention component with which the connector engages in use.