Joint

{
  "publication_number": "US9260177B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Joint",
  "abstract": "A joint comprising first and second abutting components, and an adjustable strap assembly bridging the abutting components, the strap assembly including a first strap part attached to one of the components, and a second strap part attached to the other component, the first and second strap parts having mating inclined faces for adjustment of the second strap part with respect to the first strap part such that the position of the second strap part is adjustable with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline. Also, a method of forming the joint, comprising attaching the first strap part to the first component, providing the second strap part such that the inclined faces of the first and second strap parts are in mating engagement, adjusting the second strap part with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline to position the second strap part in a desired relationship with respect to the first strap part, and attaching the second strap part to the second component.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A joint comprising first and second abutting components, wherein edges of the first and second components are in abutment, and an adjustable strap assembly bridging the abutting components, the strap assembly including a first strap part attached to one of the components, the first strap having a generally wedge shaped cross-section and a second strap part attached to the other component, the second strap having a generally wedge shaped cross-section and an extending flange portion in cross-section through which the second strap part is attached to the other component, the generally wedge shaped cross-section of the first and second strap parts defining mating inclined faces for adjustment of the second strap part with respect to the first strap part such that the position of the second strap part is adjustable with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline, wherein the first and second components have respective external surfaces, wherein the external surfaces of the first and second components are substantially flush and provide an aerodynamic surface, wherein the adjustable strap assembly is located on a reverse side of the first and second components and the first and second strap parts do not form part of the aerodynamic surface.",
    "2. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the mating inclined faces have treated surfaces to increase their surface roughness.",
    "3. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the mating inclined faces have co-operating serrations.",
    "4. A joint according to claim 3, wherein the serrations are one selected from the group comprising a) serrations integrally formed on the first and second strap parts, and b) serrations formed on separate parts joined to the first and second strap parts.",
    "5. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable strap assembly further includes a setting device for setting the relative position of the first and second strap parts.",
    "6. A joint according to claim 5, wherein the setting device is releasable to permit adjustment of the second strap part with respect to the first strap part.",
    "7. A joint according to claim 6, wherein the setting device is at least one bolt received in respective elongate slots formed in the first strap part.",
    "8. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the abutting components are panels.",
    "9. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the components are aircraft components, and the external surfaces form aerodynamic surfaces of the aircraft.",
    "10. A joint according to claim 9, wherein the first component is a wing trailing edge panel and the second component is a wing cover.",
    "11. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable strap assembly is attached to internal surfaces of the first and second components.",
    "12. A method of forming a joint according to claim 1, the method comprising attaching the first strap part to the first component, providing the second strap part such that the inclined faces of the first and second strap parts are in mating engagement, adjusting the second strap part with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline to position the second strap part in a desired relationship with respect to the first strap part, and attaching the second strap part to the second component.",
    "13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising setting the relative position of the first and second strap parts prior to attachment of the second strap part to the second component.",
    "14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising setting the relative position of the first and second strap parts such that external surfaces of the abutting components are substantially flush.",
    "15. A joint according to claim 1, wherein the external surface of the first component extends up to the edge of the first component, and the external surface of the second component extends up to the edge of the second component.",
    "16. A method of forming a joint comprising first and second abutting components, and an adjustable strap assembly bridging the abutting components, the strap assembly including a first strap part attached to one of the components, and a second strap part attached to the other component, the second strap having a generally wedge shaped cross-section and an extending flange portion in cross-section through which the second strap part is attached to the other component, the first and second strap parts having mating inclined faces for adjustment of the second strap part with respect to the first strap part such that the position of the second strap part is adjustable with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline; the method comprising the steps of: a) attaching the first strap part to the first component, b) providing the second strap part such that the inclined faces of the first and second strap parts are in mating engagement, c) adjusting the second strap part with respect to the first strap part in the direction of the incline to position the second strap part in a desired relationship with respect to the first strap part, d) setting the relative position of the first and second strap parts in a desired position selected from a plurality of different possible relative positions in which the first and second strap parts may be set in the finally assembled joint, and e) attaching the second strap part to the second component once the first and second strap parts are in the desired position.",
    "17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the desired relative position of the first and second strap parts is selected from the plurality of different possible relative positions based on a known thickness of the second component.",
    "18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first and second components have respective external surfaces, and attaching the second strap part to the second component brings the external surfaces of the first and second components substantially flush, and the external surfaces of the first and second components extend up to the abutting edges of the first and second components."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a joint between two abutting components. The invention also relates to a method of forming such a joint.\n\nConventional aircraft wings comprise a wing box with front and rear spars. Upper and lower wing covers are attached to the spars and extend between them to form the upper and lower boundaries of the wing box. Leading and trailing edge structures, such as panels or D-nose covers, are typically attached to the upper and lower covers with butt-straps. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate conventional butt-strap arrangements.\n\nAn upper wing cover 1 is attached to a fixed leading edge structure 2 with a butt-strap 3, a pair of bolts 4, 5 and nuts 9, 10. The butt-strap 3 comprises upper and lower horizontal portions 7, 6 which are joined by a vertical portion 8. The lower portion 6 engages with the internal surface of the cover 1, while the upper portion 7 engages with the internal surface of the fixed leading edge structure 2.\n\nTo achieve a smooth aerodynamic surface, the external surface of the structure 2 and the external surface of the cover 1 must be aligned with each other within a strict tolerance range. Outside of this range, the step created in the external surface across the joint leads to drag and increased fuel burn, and also issues with erosion of the edge of the structure 2. To ensure that the alignment criteria are met, a packer 12 may be added between the internal surface of the structure 2 and the upper portion 7 of the butt-strap, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, as shown in FIG.",
  "cpc": [
    "B64C 3/28",
    "B64C 3/26",
    "F16B 5/0084",
    "Y10T 29/49826",
    "Y10T 403/635"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23P 11/00",
    "B23P 17/00",
    "B64C 1/00",
    "B64C 1/06",
    "B64C 3/00",
    "B64C 3/26",
    "B64C 3/28",
    "B64C 5/00",
    "B66C 1/12",
    "F16B 2/14",
    "F16B 5/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Airbus Operations Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Victor Willdig",
    "Jon McALINDEN"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2010-01-21",
  "publication_date": "2016-02-16",
  "grant_date": "2016-02-16",
  "priority_date": "2009-02-03",
  "application_number": "US-201013144386-A",
  "family_id": "40469418",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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}